the food

plenty of fish in the sea

2012-02-09T13:58:00.000-06:00

when i last discussed that we had chosen a path of flexitarianism in our house, things have stayed fairly status quo. we only purchase meat for special occasions when we have guests, and even then, not very much. we eat meat out of the house happily, but i have noticed that by choosing a more vegetarian focused diet at home, we have eaten things for dinner that we wouldn't normally have made (or wouldn't normally have made it vegetarian, for sure). i'm particularly proud on nights when i look down at my plate and realize that there is numerous servings of veg on it, sometimes of up to 4 different varieties!

i do my darnedest to make sure that our dinners have a nice balance of whole grains, veg, and protein. protein is always the most challenging, but still not difficult in the least.

there are different ways to determine how many grams of protein you need in a day. i found this article very helpful in my quest. espresso and cream also did an excellent post a while back with a link taking you to an american calculator that assists you in determining how much protein, fiber, vitamins, etc, you require based on various factors of your body.
the thing that people don't realize is that almost all food contains protein (well, except for the really junky stuff), but not all food contains complete protein. without diving into too many scientific details, some examples of non-meat foods that contain complete proteins include egg whites, buckwheat, hempseed, soybeans, quinoa, amaranth, seafood, and spirulina.
i actually get excited when something that i make for dinner automatically conquers our protein need for that meal (quinoa and eggs fitting that bill quite often).

we still eat fish on occasion, which is a nice treat.

our fave way to make fish is to bread it in panko and bake it till golden and crispy. no deep fried fish here, but the effect is inevitably the same!

white fish (cod, halibut) are the chef's faves, and i'm partial to salmon. we've had cod a couple of times in the last few months and although i knew i was doing my body good, i didn't realize just how good! full of omegas, vitamin B6 & B12, and jam packed full of protein! 52% of your daily intake!

i made this version "southwestern" spiced, but you could very easily swap the spices for whatever your palette leans towards. it takes a few minutes to prepare the fish, but then bakes to crunchy deliciousness without any fuss on your part (no standing over hot oil for you!). it's even good the next day!

enjoy :)

southwestern spiced panko crusted cod

by alana fiks

Ingredients (serves 6)

6 serving sized piece of fish of your choice (i used cod, but have used halibut and salmon)

FOR THE CRUST

1 cup panko crumbs
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon chipotle
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper

FOR THE WASH

2 eggs
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
1 teaspoon minced garlic

FOR THE DREDGE

2 tablespoons all purpose flour

Instructions

in a bowl large enough to comfortably fit the length of your fish, add the flour and set aside

in another bowl of the same size, add your egg wash ingredients, and mix well with a small whisk or fork. set aside to the right of your bowl with the flour.

in yet another bowl of the same size, add all crust ingredients and mix well to combine all ingredients and set aside on the right of your bowl with the egg wash.

preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and line a large sheet pan with a sheet of parchment paper and spray with olive oil spray and set aside.

dry each piece of fish off on both sides using paper towels and set aside.

you are now going to create an assembly line of fish battering. start by taking a piece of fish and pressing each side into flour bowl to ensure that entire piece of fish is entirely covered in flour. next, place in egg wash ensuring piece of fish is well coated. finally, place fish in panko coating bowl and by pressing into the crumbs or sprinkling crumbs on top with your hands cover fish entirely with crumbs. place fish on parchment lined sheet pan and continue the process with all of your pieces of fish.

bake for 20 minutes (flipping once after 10 minutes) or until golden brown and crispy.

serve on it's own, or with aioli if you're adventurous!

toastess with the mostess

2012-01-19T19:34:00.001-06:00

if i didn't think that the other people that i feed dinner to would revolt against it, i would probably have kale salad at least every other day with dinner. i know most people either love or hate kale, but man do i have a seriously love affair with the stuff. i digress though, as i have certainly talked about this before!

this salad is perfect for those of you that are still on the new year's resolution bandwagons. not that i'm not on a bandwagon, just that one of my not-so-set-in-stone resolutions is to practice moderation more effectively. which to me means that it's ok that i had french fries for lunch today, but had roasted cauliflower and a sprouted grain tortilla for dinner.

it's also perfect for those who want to try something new in terms of dressing ingredients. this dressing has five tablespoons (yes...five!) of nutritional yeast. if you've never used the stuff, i highly recommend it, as i've sort of become a fan. i have become more and more enamoured with it over the past year or so, and now i sneak it into all sorts of things. it's also packs a punch. it's a complete protein, full of vitamin b, low in fat, and tastes savoury while being free of sodium. i can't quite explain what it tastes like, but i can relate to those that say that it reminds them of parmesan cheese. i will say, that i have made various salad dressing with it, and without it, and when it's included it adds a certain somethin' somethin' that i miss when it's not there.

in other news, i have finally completed my new recipage! what a fantastic concept those two came up with! makes searching/finding/filing recipes so much easier! here's my first attempt at incorporating their recipe formatting into my posts! so professional looking!

toasted kale salad avec pom

by alana fiks

Ingredients (serves 4 heartily)

FOR THE SALAD

1 bunch curly kale, stems removed, chopped into bite sized pieces
1/2 cup pomegranate seeds
1/4 cup slivered blanced almonds, toasted
1/4 cup sesame seeds, toasted
1/4-1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled (depending on how cheesey you are, of course)

FOR THE DRESSING

1 tablespoon tahini
1 teaspoon sesame oil
5 tablespoons nutritional yeast (yep, FIVE!)
1 teaspoon maple syrup
3 tablespoons lemon juice
3/4 teaspoon garlic, minced
water for thinning

Instructions

1. place kale in large bowl

2. in a small bowl, add all dressing ingredients and using a small whisk and whisk your heart out until all is well incorporated. ultimately, you want the dressing to be the consistency of yogourt (not greek yogourt) so you may need to thin it with a tiny bit of water.

3. pour dressing over kale and using your hands, massage dressing into kale, ensuring each piece is well coated. you want to really massage the dressing in, as it helps break down the kale a bit and remove some of the crunch. once well massaged, allow the salad to sit in the fridge for at least 30 minutes (more is better).

4. once salad is ready to go, add sesame seeds, almonds, and pomegranate seeds and toss well.

5. sprinkle crumbled feta over salad and toss lightly

note: this salad keeps very very well. it doesn't get mushy, and gets better with age. easily made ahead of time.

restaurant rants, part trois

2012-01-10T09:00:00.000-06:00

oh yes folks, that's right, it's about time for another installment of restaurant rants.

lao thai (86%)

my mom took my brother, his girlfriend kate, the chef and i out for a lovely dinner a while back. we went to lao thai, which was new to both myself and the chef, and from what i can tell, even people i know who are winnipeg thai food aficionados haven't heard of this lil' joint. located way west on selkirk avenue (although apparently it temporary relocated to old st. vital for a while) and nestled into a mostly residential area, this small, family run restaurant makes you feel at home as soon as you walk in. mama is cooking in the back, and her son was out front running the show, and honestly it seemed like if you are a regular at their restaurant, you probably feel like part of the family.

the menu was authentically laotian (having been in laos for about a total of 2 hours, i am of course an expert) although they do have some typical thai menu favourites (pad thai, mee krob, etc).

all of the appetizers were scrumptious, specifically the shrimp rolls, which have now amazingly moved magic thailand's into second place. my mom claimed that they made the best salad rolls in town, and she was totally right (the only difference we could see was that they use rice instead of rice noodles) they were excellent.

we (as usual) over-ordered and didn't even touch on of the curries on the table (laotian leftovers always welcome), however the green curry was seriously excellent. the only thing i wouldn't recommend is the jerky-style beef on the appetizer menu, the spices used were a bit odd and the texture was something to be desired as it was almost hay-like. even the chef didn't like the beef, and she is a meat brat through and through.

bernstein's deli (93%)

a favourite lunch spot of my coworkers and i that also happens to be a regular stomping ground for my grandfather and his pals. the restaurant is inset in a deli, which is handy when i need to pick up some gunn's bagels, and they also have frozen versions of their seriously delicious homemade soups (beet borscht, matzoh ball and lentil are all personal faves). the clubhouse sandwich (below) is a real mouthful, and even i have to remove the middle piece of bread after inevitably forgetting to remind the lovely server to leave it out. the french fries (below) are homemade and perfect in their skin-on glory. the cold plates are perfect for those of us that seem unable to make up our minds and the turkey and bison burgers are both moist, flavourful and made in-deli, and totally better than any version i have made at home (i wonder what their secret is?!). lastly, and possibly most important to me, their pickles are delicious. overall, it's an excellent lunch joint, with authentic deli offerings.

baraka pita bakery (91%)

we are quite the regulars at baraka, have been for years. there's nothing not to love about this place. the pitas are fresh, the meat is cooked perfectly, the sauces are tasty, the staff are friendly, the service is fast, and you can even shop for Mediterranean goods while you wait. have i mentioned it's five minutes from our house? the prices are reasonable, especially considering you are getting seriously homemade, authentic Mediterranean grub. if you haven't been there, go very soon! and specifically you should have the beef or chicken donair, the falafel, the spinach and feta pie is a favourite, and the little two-bite sized cheese or beef pita pies are always a winner.

unburger (86%) and vj's drive-in (90%)

burgers are my favourite food, hand's down, no question.

a good, semi-sloppy, perfectly topped burger with fries from the current or kelekis and a coca-cola on the side would for sure by my death row dinner request. preferably made with really good beef, on a fresh bun (with a light toast, of course), topped with a mayonnaise based sauce (i'm not too picky on this one), bacon, cheddar cheese, mustard (a must!), ketchup, lettuce, pickle, tomato and raw red onion.

as we all know, there are different categories of burgers.

down-home - gourmet = sloppy - and now, even "healthy"!

my personal faves tend to fall under the sloppy category, which is why vj's ranks as my top burger pick in the city. vj's is really an experience that every winnipeg must have (preferably at least once a year). this little shack's heart-of-downtown location is almost hilarious as it's nestled between office buildings, the train station, and the fort garry hotel.. when you go, it should be a hot sunny summer day, you should drive there, order, and then eat on the picnic tables outside, while fending off angry wasps and swatting a few mosquitoes. warning: vj's burgers do not travel well. they must be eaten immediately, as they get very soggy, very fast. order a double, as the patties are quite thin, and make sure to get chili on top. get fries to share with a friend on the side and a large drink to guzzle it all down (as the small is not small...it's teeny tiny!). if you haven't been, it's really a must-do.

unburger on the other hand is a completely different experience. the buzz on unburger was huge prior to it's opening with it's promise of "healthified" burgers. it took me a while to get there, but it definitely lived up to expectations once i did. since i'm a bit of a classicist, i had the "deliciousmosttatious bacon chedder" and it was pretty darned good. the herbed mayo wasn't my fave (nor the fave of my two dining partners) as it had a strange tangy zip that we didn't care for, but it wasn't horrible. the service was just ok that night. my bff has been a few times, and on her first visit she received a raw chicken burger and the owners were nothing short of excellent in making it up to her. the joint is well designed, well lit, and has big tv screens for your hockey game viewing pleasure. the "shareables" was enough for three of us, and both the fries and aiolis were worth the calories. and for all the booze-hounds reading, it's licensed! i'd go back in a heartbeat, and am quite miffed that this didn't open when i was still living in the village!

i won't mention which restaurant i took this photo at,

for fear that they didn't catch their mistake,

but check out the first soup of the day...

none of my dining partners were brave enough to try it,

however man did we get a good laugh out of it!

happy eating, friends!

shall we retire to the parlour?

2012-01-05T08:00:00.000-06:00

i know i usually compile all of my restaurant rants into one looong ass post, but when something special comes along, it really just deserves it's own post.

parlour coffee has been open for a while now, and it really is something special. having lived in the more metropolitan cities of our fine country, and being a bit of a coffee-snob, i can tell you that winnipeg has been severely lacking in the good-cuppa-coffee department.
name one other place in town that you can get a proper cup of coffee...i dare you!

i had been hearing the buzz about parlour for some time, and when it finally opened and i had my first cup, i knew they we're doing it right. the first time i went in i was simultaneously shocked and thrilled to find out they serve my fave beans, 49th parallel, which until parlour opened i only got to enjoy after trips to vancouver, and now proudly brew it at home regularly.

parlour is located at 468 main street next to berns & black salon (which is super handy that i can get my hair did while sipping on the perfect cup) and the space is perfection in it's simplicity (even their holiday decor followed suit). i've heard rumours that parlour's owner is a designer, so props from one designer to another! their merch is also like nothing else you can find in winnipeg. i happily received an aeropress under the christmas tree this year, and have been eyeing the kalita ceramic dripper as well. parking has never been a problem for me, but if you ain't an early bird like this gal you might have to search out an adequate spot. the only drawback to parlour? they're closed on sundays. but i guess everyone needs a break, right?

since parlour is right on my route to work, i try to stop in any day that i'm not running late and as soon as that hot cup in in my hands my day is on the right track!

so, stop in at parlour anytime you can.

grab a java, and a sweet treat, and your day too will be better as a result.

what are you doing new years?

2011-12-30T11:19:00.002-06:00

if you haven't already seen this video, it'll warm your heart. and then if you're like me, you will go into a fit of jealously when you decide that it's not fair that there are good actors out there that can also sing. and then you revert back to just enjoying the music.

i will however declare that the video is my new fave part of new year's eve. i find new year's eve to be a bit of a bust, as most people have such high expectations that they are generally disappointed. i find that being surrounded by people you love is the way to go, so that no matter what you do, you are bound to enjoy. we'll be babysitting our fave two year old and hanging with the chef's in-from-out-of-town parents, while munchin and snackin and inevitably watching the famous ball drop.

2011 was a pretty darned good year. i have very high hopes for 2012 as well. i look forward to happy times with my nearest and dearest, drinking more water (one of my resolutions every year), giving up soda pop for good (my official new year's resolution this year), lots of trips to the dog park, hopefully a trip to NYC, lots of laughing and giggling, and feeding the chef and myself very well.

i figured i might as well go all cliche on you and provide a list of the best of 2011 for you.

here's wishing you and yours a new year filled with

good times, good friends, good health, and good food!

january brought dutch baby pancakes. fluffy, eggy, sweet goodness!

february was cold outside, but warm inside with africanish peanut soup.

a coworker of mine has now fed a crowd this soup twice and reported in with fantastic results!

march was sticky-sweet with sticky lemon pudding. god is this stuff ever the shit.

april (my birthday!) was miso hungry potatoes. just made these again last week, always a hit!

may was the food's 1st blog-iversary, celebrated with the best cookies EVER.

not kidding. try em' and you''ll see.

june had swiss chard cooked in bacon.

i'm pretty sure if i said it had __(insert anything here)___ cooked in bacon,

you would still click on the link. am i right?

oh sunny july, with your ~~horrible~~ glorious heatwaves that

inevitably make me loathe the thought of turning on the oven.

at least you can make eggcellent egg salad by only turning on the oven for a few minutes.

august was a slow month here on the food,

but it did have a high point in bloody mary salad.

like drink at a bar, in a bowl.

man, was septemeber a busy month for everyone, or just us?

we finally made it to el torito taco bar. was it worth it? click here to find out!

our trip to vancouver and seattle was in september, but it seems to have

been blogged in october, whoopsie!

best sandwich of my life, dim sum ala cart,

and molly moon's ice cream - heaven in a cup!

november brought crunchy, sweet/savoury popcorn. a whole bucket full of the stuff!

december ain't over yet, but it brought a synopsis of our adventures in juicing.

funny, the cliche way to talk about juicing would be to do it after the holidays, non?

peace, love, and happy new year ya'll!

the quiet of christmas

2011-12-25T12:22:00.000-06:00

there's one particular thing i love about christmas, and that's the quiet.
it's not always quiet, certainly not in this family, but in between the bouts of glasses clanging, hoots and hollering, sighs of fullness and crunching of unwrapping, there are a series of quiet times that i really love. when the chef and i get to watch continuous episodes of parenthood, not talk, and be grateful for the gifts that we just opened from one another. when the dog naps upside down after having already torn apart her first stuffed toy. it's really the quiet moments that feel like christmas to me (and remember this is all coming from a jew).

you see, the chef is not jewish, and i am (a bacon-eating jew, but a jew none the less). although i'm not the most religious of jews, the chef isn't the most religious of non-jews, so it really makes for a perfect pair. the best thing of an inter-religion couple is never having to fight over which family to spend the holidays with, since we don't celebrate the same holidays. it's really ideal. and the best thing about shacking up with a non-jew is getting to celebrate christmas with her family! her ukrainian family, which means perogies, cabbage rolls and perishky at christmas dinner.

ang's grandma is the ukrainian matriarch of this lil' family. in her prime she was the maker of all things...the soup had homemade noodles, the perogies and perishky were better than anyone elses, the cabbage rolls were perfection, and all made with the sincerest form of love. some of her recipes are memorialized in memories only as no one would dare try to make them as well as she did. we however put on our brave faces last easter and attempted to recreate her perishky (we even inherited her so very old "traditional ukrainian cookery" book and all it's old glory). for those that don't know, perishky are tasty little dough balls filled with a sauerkraut and bacon filling...or apparently other fillings, but sauerkraut and bacon is the way we roll around here. we did ok, but as she said "the taste is there, but their just too big". we vowed to try again at christmas, and i hope we've honoured her recipe (we will find out tonight at christmas dinner!). these little gems are seriously addictive, as they are the best combination of savoury filling, fluffy dough, all wrapped up with a buttery, golden brown exterior. try to eat just ~~one~~ five. whether you are ukrainian or not, these things are heart-warming and crave-worthy. it just wouldn't be this jew's christmas without them!

here's the age old recipe, i'm sure grandma would be honoured to know that i'm sharing it with you all, especially on christmas (if she knew what a blog was, or the internet for that matter). it seems complicated, as there are lots of words about to follow, however it's really not all that bad.

grandma rose's perishky
makes a whole crap load (like, at least 100 small ones, or 50 large ones)

notes: it's best if you make the filling the day before and let it sit overnight in the fridge

for the dough
2 packages (or 2 1/4 teaspoons) dry yeast
1/2 cup lukewarm water
1 teaspoon + 3/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons salt
4 eggs
3/4 cup canola oil
2 cups milk, scalded
2 tablespoons butter, melted 10 cups all purpose flour

for the filling
2 litres sauerkraut
2 pounds bacon, diced
4 small onions, diced
salt and pepper to taste

for the washes
4 egg yolks, lightly beaten
4 tablespoons butter, melted

for the dough

1. add 1 teaspoon sugar into lukewarm water then sprinkle yeast over top and swirl the mixture quickly to combine. let sit for 10-15 minutes to let it foam up.
2. in a mixmaster fitted with the whisk attachment, beat 3/4 cup sugar, salt, eggs, and canola oil until well combined.
3. add melted butter into scalded milk and on medium speed slowly pour into oil mixture until well combined
4. add yeast mixture into oil/milk mixture until well combined
5. with mixer on slow speed, add 5 cups of flour to oil/milk mixture 1/2 cup at a time until well combined (make sure to scrape the sides every once ina while). the mixture will be elasticky, yet still slightly soupy.
6. remove the whisk attachment, and replace with the dough hook. slowly add additional 5 cups of flour 1/2 cup at a time until the dough will not take any more flour (sometimes it only needs 4 cups, sometimes it takes all 5...weird)
7. place dough into large bowl coated with canola oil and cover with saran wrap. place in a warm spot and let it rise to double it's original size.

for the filling
1. in a large mesh strainer, rinse sauerkraut under warm water and drain slightly. place in dutch oven or large saucepan and cover with water. boil for 1/2 an hour, then drain in mesh strainer and rinse with cold water. once cooled, squeeze out all excess water and place in a large bowl.
2. in small batches, chop sauerkraut finely and place in another large bowl.
3. in the same dutch oven or saucepan, fry bacon until crispy. remove and add to sauerkraut mixture, leaving bacon fat in the pan.
4. in the already hot bacon oil, fry onions until cooked through and add onions to sauerkraut mixture.
5. toss mixture very well and season with salt and pepper.

to make perishky
1. once dough is doubled, pull off small pieces the size of a loonie, or just larger than a quarter if you're not familiar with the loonie (if you want the exact size, they should be 8-10 grams each) and pull and squish as far as it will go until you have a semi-round flat piece of dough
2. pinch a small amount of sauerkraut mixture and place in the middle of the flattened dough and wrap and punch dough until it is sort of the shape of a football. place about 1" apart from one another on a parchment lined baking sheet.
3. once all are pinched and lined up like little round soldiers, preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
4. brush each one with the egg yolk wash and bake for 20 minutes or until each lil' gem is golden brown
5. if serving immediately, brush each perishky with melted butter and enjoy!

merry christmas to you all!

loosey juicey

2011-12-06T20:53:00.001-06:00

so much has happened round these parts as of late, that unfortunately this corner of the internet i call mine has been a little neglected. but don't fret my friends, i'm back with a vengeance and have so much to gush!

first, our poor lil' gertie had a bad few weeks involving days of limping, a tiny pink cast, and unfortunate days sulking while wearing one of these. i've now told her that he needs to start earning her keep after we paid the bill for the world's smallest/most expensive cast. look at this sad little face...
(she's all better now, for those who are wondering. back to her old self!)

second, have i mentioned that we got a juicer about oh, let's say...two months ago? literally has revolutionized our lives (and our produce bill!). after reading about adventures in juicing on daily garnish and on katheats, and after doing my research, i was convinced. however after seeing "fat, sick and nearly dead" both the chef and i were definitely on the juicing bandwagon. haven't turned back since! green juice, beet juice, orange juice, brown juice, doesn't matter to us (although our fave is green juice).

this was our first produce haul after getting us the juicer, and it lasted us about a week and a half (and we were each drinking an average of 20 ounces of juice a day at that time).

we got the breville ikon multi-speed after doing all sorts of research and couldn't be happier. you kinda gotta learn the kinks and tricks to perfect juice, but once you are in the swing of things, it's easy peasy.

everyone cautioned me that they were a bitch to clean and more work than they were worth, but really, so long as you clean it immediately after you finish making the juice, it's really no worse than hand washing any other really dirty dishes, which i do all the time anyways.

i can't 100% confirm if it's the juice, but i do feel better in a few ways:

1. i am less tired at work on the mornings that i have juice for or with breakfast.

2. i (knock on wood!) have made it through the first few months of cold and flu season

3. my digestion is at least moderately better on days that i have juice in the morning

4. i can definitely sense that it aids in cleaning out my system (too much info?)

5. i never feel that i haven't eaten enough fruits or veg, as there is a shit tonne in every glass

we now try to drink at least a full glass (10 ounces) of juice every morning. i'll take any juice, so long as it has ginger and lemon in it, however i also lean towards any juice with kiwi in it.

sometimes i think that the best part of having a juicer is that we never ever ever throw out any produce anymore! i used to feel so guilty throwing out apples or cabbage that had gone bad..not anymore! on it's last leg? throw it in the juicer!

here is what went into my batch of juice last night (this would be about 4 servings worth)

yep, i ain't kiddin...brussel sprouts! and it was deeeeelish! i can't get enough of the stuff!
now, i should mention (as i know someone will ask)...having the juicer hasn't lessened any of our otherwise hearty fruit and veg consumption. i still strive to eat veg and fruit at every meal and snack during the day, and ensure that our dinners are as plant based as possible. i really just consider juicing an extra added bonus of nutrition!

lastly, our lil' cake business is booming! take a gander over at http://www.ladybake.ca/ for further information (however please note that the website is under construction and won't be complete for a week or two!). so, if you know anyone that needs a sweet treat in their lives, send them our way!

....happy juicing!

baconfest

2011-12-01T19:03:00.001-06:00

last night we spent a lovely evening with friends eating bacon. that's right, we ate bacon all night long at a fundraiser for the united way put on by local radio host ace burpee.
baconfest featured 12 of winnipeg's best chef's and restaurants putting out their bacon best.
we came hungry, and left stuffed, so ultimately the evening was a success in my books.

best bite of the night went to brooklynn's bistro by a mile as their citrus braised pork belly with salted caramel sauce, turned apple, celery salad and mustard seed caviar blew our socks off. their borscht with a hearty serving of pork belly was also beyond tasty and easily my second fave of the night. i gotta say, daryl crumb's showing on top chef didn't really entice my taste buds, however his charming personality and stellar food last night brought him back into my good books.

the chef's second fave was the newly opened elements restaurant's bacon corn dog with corn salsa and blue cheese aioli. if i were more a fan of blue cheese i would have been seriously down with this one too. it definitely made me want to check elements out for lunch one day very soon!

diversity catering impressed with an excellent blt salad shooter with liquid nitrogen bacon fat crumbly bits.

and tallest poppy brought out the bad jew in me by serving blintzes stuffed with bacon and creamy mac and cheese that was perfectly creamy and not over the top in it's bacon glory.

by the time i got around to dessert i was too full to manage anything except for one of contance pop's truffles (which was devine) however a bacon topped french toast cupcake and this lil' piggy came all the way home with us.

all in all, an food-filled evening for an excellent cause, and eating while doing a good deed is totally up this gals alley! although, i think i'm gonna take a pass on the bacon for a while.

popcorn, here! (only fellow peggers will get that refrerence...)

2011-11-04T09:15:00.000-05:00

and only those that have spent time at the new, or old arena at that.

we went to the second jets home opener a few weeks back, and although i think that the word amazing is totally overused, amazing is exactly what that experience was. i've never been part of an experience that was anywhere near that thrilling before, nor have i been to a sporting event where everyone was cheering for the same team. from the moment we sat in our seats we instantly made friends with people beside, below and above us, and high fives ensued throughout the game with complete strangers, who were now our "buddies". why am i telling you this story? because there was homemade caramel corn at the game. the chef brought it with her from work, and the bags ended up getting passed around and shared with a handful of strangers, all of whom definitely thought they had lucked out on the snack-front.

the chef makes this caramel corn for one of the items on her new menu at the restaurant. it goes with dark chocolate truffle cake with peanut butter ice cream and caramel, it's as devine as it sounds. she based her recipe on a smitten kitchen classic, while tweaking to suit her vision, of course.

the chef whipped up a batch for me to fill up my cauldron with to take to my office's halloween festivities last friday. the only thing that i added to the making of this batch was tossing in some peanuts, almonds and pepitas at the last minute "to bulk it up" - which turned out to be the downfall of this batch (whoops!).

this caramel corn is sweet, yet not saccharine, flavourful from the spices, and has that great sweet/salty effect going for it. it gets stuck in your teeth, but in the best way possible, and the best part is it can be stored for weeks in an airtight container. however, that might not be possible, as it seems to dissapear quite quickly. it would make an excellent treat for your favourite neighbourhood kids (however don't give it to the kids that you don't know as 1) that's creepy and 2) it's going in the garbage, as any good parent knows that the person handing out "homemade" treats is really just trying to poison their children).

here is the recipe for you, don't follow my suit and add more nuts/seeds than the recipe calls for... it just become a headache, and inevitably you will get the "i told you so" look from the chef (darn it!).

spiced caramel corn with nuts

adapted from smittenkitchen's version

nonstick cooking spray or vegetable oil

1/2 cup popcorn kernels

2 cups salted peanuts (or almonds, pepitas, etc)

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1/4 to 3/4 teaspoons cayenne pepper

1 1/2 tablespoons cinnamon

1 tablespoon cardamamom

1/2 tablespoon ground ginger

3 cups sugar

1 to 1/2 tablespoons kosher or course sea salt

1. lightly coat two large, heatproof rubber spatulas, a very large mixing bowl and two large baking sheets with nonstick cooking spray or a thin slick of oil.
2 In a large saucepan or pot with a lid, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the popcorn kernels, cover and keep the saucepan moving until all of the kernels have popped, about 5 minutes. Transfer to the prepared bowl, removing any unpopped kernels. Toss with salted peanuts (or other nuts/seeds).
3. In a small bowl, whisk together the baking soda and cayenne pepper.
4. Have the two large baking sheets ready. In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar, butter, salt and 1/2 cup water. Cook over high heat, without stirring, until the mixture becomes a light golden-yellow caramel, 10 to 14 minutes. Remove from the heat and carefully whisk in the baking-soda mixture (the mixture will bubble up).
5. Immediately pour the caramel mixture over the popcorn and don’t fuss if it doesn’t all come out of the pot — you’ll have plenty. Working quickly and carefully, use the prepared spatulas to toss the caramel and popcorn together, as if you were tossing a salad, until the popcorn is well coated.
6. Spread the popcorn onto the baking sheets and quickly separate them into small pieces while still warm. Cool to room temperature, about 15 minutes.
7. Once cool, store in an airtight container.

brainstorm

2011-10-31T08:48:00.000-05:00

we had a lil' family night on saturday, in hopes of filling the chef's craving for a halloween inspired evening, including spooky snacks, a trip to a cemetery (or two!) and scary movies, of course. you see, you'd think we could handle doing this ourselves, however i am not a lover of anything scary, spooky, or fright-inducing. i like the corny, candy, cute aspects of halloween, not the spooky, scary, or sneaky parts.

the chef whipped up all sorts of treats (while i was at a massage - such a tough life i lead) including all of the staples required at any good pop-and-chip-party, chips with dip, tortillas chips and cheese that's one molecule away from plastic, and cut up veggies for those who feel the need to ingest some actual nutrients. there were also homemade tofu-veggie wontons that we made and froze a few weeks back, and a few dozen potato cheddar perogies from the perogy pinchin' party we attended last week (not a typical menu for us, but totally satiating for a pre-halloween night). the highlight of the evening just had to be a creepy dessert, which i left entirely up to the chef (except for taste testing, naturally - oh how i love when our roles reverse!). she nailed this one, not surprisingly. we both admire sprinkle bakes and read her blog regularly. i don't know how anyone could not be impressed by this, or especially by this? she literally gives new meaning to the phrase "too pretty to eat". though this was our first time trying a recipe from her site, the pumpkin brown butter cupcakes did not disappoint.

i have a finicky relationship with pumpkin flavoured baked goods. most of time, i only like them if they are homemade, as i find store bought or even bakery bought treats to be a bit bland, and both the chef and i tend to go pretty heavy handed with the spices, therefore all chances of blandness are abolished. these cupcakes delivered on all fronts. they were moist, yet dense enough to easily withstand a gluttonous helping of cinnamon infused cream cheese frosting, and they didn't have the gross sticky consistency that a lot of cupcakes seem to suffer from. the best part however, is the flavour. they taste like autumn, not to sound too cliche, and they weren't sickeningly sweet either, which is always appreciated. they might even pass for a muffin, if it wasn't for the frosting.

and how cute are those frankenstein liners?

the chef piped the frosting into little creepy brains, and if i looked at them for too long i kinda got grossed out and had to put those thoughts out of my mind.

now, for the recipe.

pumpkin brown butter cupcakes

click here to head on over to sprinkle bakes for the recipe.

notes: 1. the chef didn't use allspice, because we all know allspice is just gross.

she used cardamom instead.

2. the chef doubled all of the spices. cuz spice is is the spice of life.

3. the recipe only made 20, not 24 as stipulated.

cinnamon cream cheese frosting

1 lb butter at room temperature

2 8 ounce bricks of cream cheese at room temperature

5-6 cups icing sugar

3-4 tablespoons cinnamon

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1. in the bowl of a standing mixer (or using hand held mixer) with whisk attachment, whip butter and cream cheese until fluffy and totally incorporated

2. add icing sugar 1 cup at a time, allowing each to incorporate fully. taste as you go, as some prefer their frosting more sweet than others

3. once desired sweetness is achieved, sprinkle cinnamon while whisking frosting until all is incorporated

4. add lemon juice, 1 tablespoon at a time, tasting in between

5. chill for about 1 hour before piping

note: frosting is easy to freeze, and keeps in the freezer for at least 6 months

happy holloween, friends!

pumpkin, spice, and everything nice

2011-10-28T09:11:00.000-05:00

in our house, we challenge ourselves to hold on as long as we possibly can without turning on the heat. every day as the crisp fall nights get cooler, we pack on the layers, woolen booties and homey blankets seeing how many more nights we can make it. last week however, we hit a breaking point, and oddly, it was pretty much a year from the day we cranked up the heat last year...guess that should tell us something.
but before we turned it up, i knew the secret to staying warm, and it involves pumpkin.

three words.
pumpkin. spice. steamers.

pumpkin spice lattes used to be a fave of mine, however over the years the idea of super sweetened coffee just turns me off.
have i ever mentioned my sincere love for coffee? two weeks ago i went off my rocker and thought that i might want to quit coffee, but i snapped out of that quick after having another latte from parlour coffee (more on that to come in another post!).
i figured i still like the sweetness of pumpkin flavoured beverages, and it didn't take too much tinkering to figure out how to master a warm cup of pumpkiny goodness.

oddly, if you google "pumpkin spice steamer recipe" like i just did, not one of them (that i saw at least) had actual pumpkin in it...i find that perplexing.

in case you didn't know, pumpkin is really, really good for you. yes, even the canned stuff is filled with nutritious goodness. completely loaded with vitamin A and antioxidants, it’s a good source of vitamins C, K, and E, and lots of minerals, including magnesium, potassium, and iron.

so here's what you need to make yourself a lil' warm up.

pumpkin spice steamer
makes a large mugs worth

1 cup milk
3 tablespoons canned pumpkin
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon cardamom
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg (or a few grates worth of whole nutmeg)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
maple syrup to taste

1. in a small pot, heat milk over medium heat
2. while milk is heating, put pumpkin into small bowl and set aside
3. once milk is almost scalding, spoon approximately 1/4 cup into pumpkin and stir until smooth with either a small whisk or spoon
4. pour pumpkin mixture back into pot and add in spices and vanilla. stir well.
5. add maple syrup a little bit at a time until sweetened to your taste (i use about 1 tablespoon, give or take)
6. stir well and serve in a nice, anthropologie mug (if you are lucky like me and acquired on in seattle)

now head on out henderson highway before all the pumpkins are scooped up! (that's where the chef took the pictures shown above!)

roll with it

2011-10-24T21:25:00.001-05:00

go into a room. ask this question:
everyone who likes cinnamon rolls, raise your hand?
notice that everyone in the room raises their hand? yep...because nobody can turn down a hot out of the oven, soft, doughy cinnamon roll, as they are perfection in their simplicity.

and since i know that everyone likes them, i made a batch for our neighbour. the most wonderful neighbour in the world, who plows our driveway, and even shovels our walk. and if you're not from around these parts, just google image "winnipeg snow" and you will then understand why this is such a nice thing for someone to do for us. what does this cost us you ask? leftovers. we send him tupperwares full of chili, with cornbread on the side or cookies or cake or both sometimes, and he always seems sincerely grateful and heart warmed when he sees us headed his way with armloads of food. and oddly, we feel the same way when he heads our way with his bobcat or shovel.
so, in hopes of buttering him up for the upcoming winter snowfalls, cinnamon rolls were made with him in mind and sent over.

(as you can see, apparently my rolling & cutting skills need work!)

when i can't settle on a recipe via blog perusal, i always know where to turn, especially when it comes to baking. baking illustrated is the cookbook of all cookbooks when it comes to baking. this was my first official cookbook in my collection, and sweetly, it was given to me by the chef. i eyed it all summer long back in the day when $45 for a cookbook seemed impossible. as i opened a wrapped package one day, there it was, ready for me to begin my baking adventures. perhaps i wouldn't have become such a baker had i not receive this book? the glazed lemon cookies are divine, the blueberry cobbler cannot be beat (that page is covered in blueberry juice in my copy), and overall the tips and tricks they provide make or break recipes. ultimately, every recipe is tried, tested and true, and totally foolproof. (p.s: the chef doesn't like this book, as she thinks it's too fussy. but she's a professional, so she doesn't need fussy. i need fussy in order to be perfect!)

are these the best cinnamon rolls i have ever had? no.
but, really, there is no such thing as bad cinnamon rolls.
and as predictable as it is, these ones from tall grass prairie bakery are my fave (they remind me of childhood summers at the cabin at the lake).

they were sweet, comforting, and cinnamony. no raisins in the way, no other spices or maple or nuts, just cinnamon in all it's spicy glory.
i will warn you however, that this recipe takes forever to make, and has numerous steps. it's an afternoon ordeal, really.

but perfect for buttering up your very worthy neighbour.

glazed cinnamon rolls
adapted (only the glaze, however) from baking illustrated

ingredients:

dough:
1/2 cup milk
8 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup warm water, 110 degrees
1 (1/4 ounce) envelope instant yeast
1/4 cup sugar
1 large egg
2 large egg yolks
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
4 -4 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus
additional unbleached all-purpose flour, for dusting work surface

icing:
2 TB heavy cream or half and half
1/2 cup icing sugar

to make the dough:
1. Heat the milk and butter in a small pan until the butter melts. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside until the mixture is lukewarm (about 100 degrees).
2. In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle, mix together the water, yeast, sugar, egg, and yolks at low speed until well mixed. Add the salt, warm milk mixture, and 2 cups of the flour and mix at medium speed until thoroughly blended.
3. Switch to the dough hook, add another 2 cups of the flour, and knead at medium speed (adding up to 1/4 cup more flour, 1 tablespoon at a time if necessary), until the dough is smooth and freely clears the sides of the bowl, about 10 minutes.
4. Scrape the dough onto a lightly floured work surface. Shape the dough into a round, place it in a very lightly oiled bowl, and cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Leave in a warm draft free spot until doubled in bulk, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

to make the icing:
5. While dough is raising prepare the icing by combining icing sugar and cream in a small bowl and whisking until smooth. Set aside.

to roll and fill the dough:
6. After the dough has doubled, press it down and turn it out onto a lightly floured work surface. Using a rolling pin, shape the dough into a 16 by 12 inch rectangle, with long side facing you.
7. Mix together the filling ingredients in a small bowl and sprinkle the filling evenly over the dough, leaving a 1/2 inch border at the far edge.
8. Roll the dough, beginning with the long edge closest to you and using both hands to pinch the dough with your fingertips as you roll. Keep it tightly rolled. Moisten the top border with water and seal the roll. Lightly dust the roll with flour and press on the ends if necessary to make a uniform 16 inch cylinder.
9. Grease a 13 x 9 inch baking dish.
10. Cut the rolls into 12 equal pieces using plain dental floss or a sharp knife. Place the rolls cut side up, evenly in the prepared baking dish.
11. Cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm draft free spot until doubled in bulk 1 1/2- 2 hours.

To bake & glaze the rolls:
12. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and adjust oven rack to the middle position.
13. Bake the rolls until golden brown and an instant read thermometer inserted into the center of one roll reads 185 to 188 degrees or 25- 30 minutes.
14. allow rolls to cool for approximately 10 minutes, then using a spoon drizzle glaze in whatever pattern you like ensuring that each roll receives the same amount of glaze (or not!)

SERVE WARM!!!!!

r.i.p. nigella whisk

2011-10-13T20:47:00.002-05:00

it was a sad day, when the chef and i had to say goodbye to our beloved nigella lawson "bliss whisk". it was given to the chef by her auntie ev, and we have both gravitated to this one over all of the other mini whisks we own (and there are certainly a few). our love of this whisk was evidenced by it's sad deterioration after years of use (see the break in the coil at the top?). we even kept it for about a year after it was obviously past the point of good-to-use...things would get caught in the broken coil making it hard to clean, yet it's functionality was so worth the extra effort. alas, the whisk is gone, as it's apparently impossible to order online. now, this memorialization of a kitchen tool has really ~~made me seem far too weird~~ gone on far too long so let's move onto what's been cookin' round these parts lately.

maybe in an attempt to be healthier, granola was made once we returned from vacation. it was really good, but man did that ever make a huge batch! i riffed off this recipe as i like to use egg whites as the binder in granola (for the low-fat, protein-addition factor), but added/took away/substituted based on what was around. specifically, i added a boat load of quinoa puff cereal towards the end (added protein, of course). and there's just something about the texture of dried cranberries in granola that i can't get enough of.

peperoni and mushroom

bbq chicken with bacon

sometimes there's experiences in your life and other aspects of your life are enhanced as a result. this happened to the chef, my mom and i a couple of weeks back when we happened upon the arnes farmers market. we had heard that they served wood-fired pizza, so of course, we had to sample a few (and how can you not be wooed by a sign hand-written on bright yellow bristol board?). was the pizza the best we've ever had? no. are we now in the planning stages of building a wood-fire oven in our backyard? you betcha! more info to follow at another date...

smitten kitchen's roasted tomato soup with broiled cheddar called out to me. so i made it. and then refrigerated it overnight (as soup is just always better the next day) and then...the inevitable happened. the whole pot got eaten without ever broiling cheddar on top of it. was it good? yep. was it more like sauce than soup? yep! also, as i know my mom specifically would be proud...all tomatoes used for this soup were bought for 50% off.

if you only have homemade apple and pumpkin pie to be thankful for at thanksgiving, you're not really so bad off are ya? although, thankfully for me, there is so much more in my life to be thankful for.

so as you can see, eating hasn't been slackin round' these parts. and in the next few weeks, there's plans for a fondue party, a perogy making marathon, and although not necessarily on the gourmet-food end of the scale, hot dogs, beer and popcorn and who knows, maybe even some cotton candy at the second jets home game!

(go jets go!)

oh and have i mentioned that virgin cesar's are the greatest drink-snack ever?

wild wild west

2011-10-02T13:42:00.000-05:00

we just got back from a blissful trip out west to visit the chef's parents in their brand spankin new condo in downtown vancouver. we ate our way through a week and a half, and didn't even have one bad meal (or snack) while in vancouver, and especially not while we took a jaunt down to seattle for three days. some of the best bites of my life, no question.
here's some snapshots of what we mowed down on.

best sights?

bridge to north vancouver, taken from stanley park

fresh b.c. produce

pikes place public market - seattle

markets that stand behind their produce so much that they stand at the edge sampling peaches, tomatoes, nectarines and just about anything else you want to taste

(all the best of each i have ever tasted)

a wall full of gum. apparently, it's a landmark.

lots and lots of water. and boats. so foreign to me.

best snacks?

mmm hmm, dim sum cart! ha gao, bbq pork buns, and sticky rice...on the street!

old fashioned(s), scotch on the rocks, and multiple ceasar's were consumed.

at the fish house in stanley park, not gonna lie...we had "snap crackle & pork"

and it was swiney and deviney

we wanted to try mighty-o's doughnuts while in seattle, as they were highly recommended, but their location was too far from where we were at. thankfully, we bumped into them being served at a cafe downtown. vegan deliciousness!

i was eating peaches every chance i got. damn were they good!

my very first pinkberry...now i understand all the hype! we sampled the original, with peanut butter crunch, coconut, and these strange little mango juice pearls. my only complaint? one small dish to share between us came to almost NINE DOLLARS!

i really wanted to get to molly moon's ice cream while in seattle, and we happened to come across two locations so we stopped in while visiting capitol hill. the chef sampled salted caramel, and i sampled the tomato basil sorbet. both were good, but not nearly as good as my order. strawberry balsamic with lemon curd topping. stole my heart on the first bite. and who doesn't love a joint with a gertie look alike as their mascot?

best coffee?

as always, 49th parallel in vancouver

(apparently parlour coffee is now serving & selling their beans in the peg'!)

close second? spanish latte from cafe artigiano in vancouver. hint...it has condensed milk in it. i die.

best meals?

aside from an incredible meal at toulousse petit (another post to follow on that one) there were some real doozies of meals.

best sandwiches of our lives at the baguette box. holy moly. seriously. no words to describe these.

above is the crispy drunken chicken.

below is the lemongrass beef.

i could eat these every day of my life.

thai iced tea while waiting. in case y'all don't know, it's strongly brewed black tea, a poop-storm of sugar, and evaporated milk. deeelish!

things you can't get in the peg?

avocados the size of small dogs. look at the comparison in size between the pears behind them.

bulk chopped kale or chard/kale combo.

i dream of something so convenient as this!

dahlias, dahlias, dahlias. how much for the bucket?

$10. for the whooole BUCKET. seriously.

local, organic, italian romanesco. beautiful.

japanese restaurants with fake plastic food in their windows. yep, that's all fake..and plastic.

nut butter bars in safeway.

seafood. nuff said.

homemade saffron ice cream. in the freezer at the corner store.

the chance to share seats with tom hanks while eating lunch.

all in all, an excellent trip, with excellent food, and wonderful company.

be my guest

2011-09-18T18:04:00.000-05:00

i'm still gallivanting in vancouver, but click here to check out my guest post over at holly's site!so nice of her to let have me as a guest (she's an excellent host!)

restaurant rants, part deux

2011-09-13T15:33:00.000-05:00

i've determined that i am more of a fall/winter cook, to the point where it's all i can think about some nights. in spring and summer, cooking just isn't my top priority, as it's hard to put it above spending time outside with the chef with friends, walking the dog, or taking trips to the cabin at the lake (where most of the time someone else is doing the cooking, and i am the one happily doing the eating!).

maybe cooking in the fall/winter just seems easier than going out to eat when it's minus 30 degrees outside and there's 3 feet of snow on top of the car, and going out to eat in the spring/summer just seems easier than turning the oven on when it's 30 degrees above outside and patios or air conditioned dining rooms at restaurants just seem so darned inviting.

all in all, it's been a pretty darned good summer, especially when it comes to food. there's been good food when eating in, and particularly great food when eating out, so it seems time to bring on another round of restaurant reviews for y'all. and before your groan at the amount of text that follows, ill list the restaurants reviewed so you can scroll through to the ones that peak your interest:

peasant cookery, marcello's market & deli, el torrito taco bar, buffalo stone cafe, magic thailand, and mercadito latino.

peasant cookery (88%)

a few weeks back, my mom took me out for a night on the town which included dinner at peasant cookery in the exchange district and finally going to see wicked (which was, worth the 8-year wait!) the menus are broken out into "firsts" and "seconds" and we eagerly each ordered a first and a second...i digress...i am a good eater, buti was beyond full after a first and a second, and i even took home half of my main course. i might recommend only one first between two people, or even two firsts and split a main. regardless, we mowed down and ate every last bite of our firsts. my mom ordered the sauteed chicken livers which were seriously good. the toast points came a little over-charred, but the server effortlessly brought out replacement points as soon as my mom mentioned the issue. the livers were cooked nicely, and the sauce was not overpowering as you could definitely still taste the liver itself. i ordered the daily mussels and frites, which were in a sundried tomato and cream sauce, which were to die for, we literally drank every drop of the liquid. the frites were good, but a bit chunky for my liking (maybe i'm just more accustomed to the shoestring "frite" variety). the highlight of the frites was the homemade ketchup and mayonnaise that came with. i always appreciate the gesture of homemade staples like ketchup.

i should have mentioned that we were presented with a beautiful bread basket upon ordering, and though i can't confirm the bread was homemade, i assume it was and all selections were pillowy and addicting.

for my main, i ordered the mustard and panko crusted salmon with beurre blanc and herbed spetzle with sauteed leeks. seriously good. the server warned that they prefer to cook their salmon to medium, which is aok by me (if i wanted sashimi, i would go to wasabi, thank you very much). salmon had a great zing to it from the mustard and the beurre blanc was a welcome addition. the spatzle were perfection. not gummy at all, and lightly browned which added a nice touch. i kind of find cooked leeks (especially in such large pieces) to be a bit of a turnoff, but i'm sure they helped with the overall flavour of the dish. highly, highly recommended.

my mom ordered the roast chicken which came with sauteed spinach and roasted potatoes. she said is was "just good". i was much to full to even try her dish, but i will say it was one enormous portion!

all in all, an excellent evening of food and the service was more than acceptable too. be warned however, that with firsts and seconds, we were there for almost 2 hours and 45 minutes, which wasn't an issue for us, but if you are in a rush, perhaps somewhere with a quicker paced kitchen might be more suited for your evening.

marcello's market & deli (95%)

i have no photos for you from marcello's(not even blackberry or instagram photos!) but that must be due to the fact that marcello's is a get-in-and-get-out kinda joint. if you aren't familiar, marcello's is located on the main floor of the hydro building on portage avenue. marcello's is mainly made up of a cold/hot buffet bar, however they also offer to-order pizzas, and sandwiches. items on the buffet are paid for by weight, but even my most lofty of meals was under $15 (including a drink). i have been to marcello's numerous times, and highly recommend it for a quick lunch when you are on the go. specific offerings that i have had over and over again included garlic herbed chicken, beet salad and tuna pasta salad, all crave-worthy. there are always lots of healthy options, and the baked items offer sweet treats for the glutton in all of us.

el torrito taco truck (80%)

they might have been having an off night, but our trip to el torrito taco bar was just kinda ok. granted, i haven't tasted everything they have to offer (i hear the chorizo dog is quite good). we all sampled beef tacos (as they were out of chicken) and found them to be a little bit greasy and slightly bland. certainly not bad enough that i wouldn't go back again, and the charming staff and trendy-factor of a food truck serving something other than french fries (in this city...) would easily entice me back for another go-round. we did bump into some feisty characters one tuesday night when the truck was parked on henderson highway (think large, gangsta rapper with a tarantula shaved into the back of their head) as well as an uber-cute family who parked themselves in the lot for the evening in lawn chairs, and went back for round to and three while we were waiting for our food. if it's good enough for gangsta rappers and beaver cleaver families, then it's good enough for me as well!

buffalo stone cafe @ fort whyte alive (92%)

in the mood for hearty, nutritious meal that will leave you wanting to come back for more? i am, after sampling some of the fine offerings at buffalo stone cafe at fort whyte alive centre. in all honesty, i've wanted to check this place out since moving back to winnipeg three years ago. thankfully, a lovely lady from my office organized a ladies lunch as our office is not too far away from the heavanly fort whyte alive centre. the scenerey is awe-inspiring in all it's prairie glory, and it was such a treat to get to eat on a picnic table overlooking a lake with ducks, and miles of vegetation. i had the soup of the day, which was beef barley vegetable which was unexpectedly (in a good way!) heavy on the dill, and the definition of hearty. i also had the shaved bison flatbread, which was seriously satisfying. i was eyeing the food of my 8 or so coworkers food, and all looks overtly good. the only thing i found dissapointing was that the drinks offered were (i believe...) coca-cola products. i just thought that a locally-focused spot such as buffalo stone would have better drink offerings, as there are so many more nutritious, organic options available out there. i would recommend planning lunch at buffalo stone in the middle of a day enjoying all that fort whyte has to offer, as i was sad to have to head back to work right after lunch.

magic thailand (97%)

best thai food in the city. nuff said, really, but i'll elaborate...slightly.

i have never ever had anything even remotely sub-par either when dining in, or taking home.

the only reason i am not giving them a full on 100% is because once in a while, when i ask for a "2/10" on spice factor, the dishes seem to be more like an "8/10" by my standards, but really, i can't fault thai folks for applying to much spice, it's just how they roll.

mercadito latino (98%)

i saved the best for last. this charming little restaurant is located literally 2 blocks from our house. it took us over a year to actually eat there however, as this or that kept getting in our way of eating there. now that we have been, we are totally hooked! i think the secret to the food excellenece at mercadito latino is that all of the food is cooked by one, authentic latin mama.
one person. cooks all of the food. consistency, my friends.
it's hard to pick just one item that is "the best" but for me, it's ultimately the beef burritos, although the pupsas and tamales come in a close second and third. the chef is a big fan of the tacos.
mercadito's food is the kind of food that you simply cannot recreate at home, for undoubtedly you lack the experience and soul that the authentic latin mama puts into each dish. the restaurant itself is hiding behind a little latin market, that has also come in quite handy for me a few times.

now, you shouldn't have any reason to not know where to go next time you want to eat out!

the knack for slack

2011-08-28T21:27:00.000-05:00

there's been some major slacking going on around here lately.

to tell you the truth, the chef and i are really, really good at slacking. we are like the royal couple of (happily) doing nothing. it's not like we're lazy, we're just pretty nonchalant about the "requirement" to have a social life.

we don't like to be busy all the time, and we both start to feel overwhelmed when we have something "to do" after work for more than two nights in a row. or, friday and saturday night on the weekend, that's almost worse. yech.

and the bottom line is, we just really really like each other, and like to spend time together. oh, and our house is pretty damn wonderful, so why would we want to be elsewhere? (that was me, tooting my own horn, in case you didn't hear it. toot! toot!)

anyways, it feels like i haven't cooked anything in months. like all summer, really.
which isn't really true at all, because there has been lots of eating going around in this ~~enormous~~ lil' house we call home, but i guess other things have been getting in the way of me telling you about them.
there's been numerous trips to farmer's markets, which results in a fridge that's always filled with bountiful produce, and for the most part, it's all been gobbled up (my apologies to that lovely bunch of asparagus that went to mush...such a sad waste of life).

but, i guess there's no time like the present to fill you in, right?
here's what i've been eating...and some of the inspiration behind them.

summer corn and avocado salad, from the daily garnish. seriously, might be my all time favourite summer meal, especially when scooped up with some of these (specifically multigrain).

watermelon, mint (from our now-dead "garden") and feta, with balsamic reduction.

inspiration? uhh...because we had watermelon, mint and feta in the fridge.

flatbreads. because they are seriously the best thing ever. and the chef can whip one up from nothing.

i have some sort of problem involving citrus, but most specifically lemons. i apparently need to have copious amounts of lemons on hand to feel safe and secure...and it's usually to the detriment of the crisper, as none of the other fruit can fit in. but really, there is worse things than having a nice sunny bowl of lemons on your counter. but when they start to turn on you (when life gives you lemons), you just simply must make lemonade. i'll happily suffer through carpal tunnel symptoms to get each and every last drop of that yellow-hued juice out. the secret to good homemade lemonade? simple syrup. simple, right?

the simplest, yet totally delicious tomato sauce.

i work with really lovely ladies, and they further prove their lovliness when i show up in the morning and there is a huge bag of perfectly ripened tomatoes (red and yellow!) on my desk chair. thanks brenda! your tomatoes make a very tasty sauce.

summer = salads.
the first hit was smitten kitchen's mouth-awakening bloody mary tomato salad. i love pretty much anything with green olives in it, and i always forget how tasty worchestershire sauce is, or "woo" sauce as the chef's family calls it. speaking of which, this salad immediately made us think that the chef's mom would love it, so i'm sure it will make another appearance when we visit her in vancouver in a few weeks.
the second was a lovely green lentil number, with crisp tomatoes, green onions, goat cheese and just lemon, olive oil and salt. so satisfying and memorable. if you want a laugh, take a look at this video, specifically when she mentions what she wears as a hat!

although there hasn't been much time to be able to share the usual recipes with you, there have been memories made instead. it always amazes me how food can evoke such emotion and memory, and this fact was further proven to us last week at the cabin at the lake. my grandfather (on the left) and his friend harvey were discussing the old days during the depression. they were reminiscing about how little money they had, but made it sound like the best time of their life. specifically, they mentioned a banana cream pie that sold for 15 cents a piece at a cafe that they couldn't afford to frequent. they stared at the pie through the window, and imagined what the pie would taste like. later in life, harvey's wife regularly made him banana cream pie. harvey's wife now lives in a home for senior citizens, and suffers from alzheimer's. he spoke of her so sweetly as he mentioned her "famous" banana cream pie, which of course instantly had the chef and i making an ingredient list in our heads. we made him a banana cream pie the next day. it took an hour trip to the store, and three recipes within a recipe (crust, custard, cream)...not to mention that i hate bananas and gag at the smell of them, and it required using the oven in the summer.
i'm sure the pie did not live up to the memory of his wife's, but the smile on his face while he ate an enormous slice was worth all of the work!

so, i'm back, friends. and it's good to be back!
ill be back soon with banana bran muffins (for back to school, perhaps?), last bit of summer salads, and some restaurant reviews as well.

following the leader

2011-08-02T19:38:00.000-05:00

at long last, the food is officially followable.

facebook.....you bet!

twitter....tweet away!

rss.....................yep!

and of course,

email subscriptions, for the old school folks (nothin' wrong with that!)

so follow me, it's the cool thing to do

obsess it #2

2011-08-01T18:45:00.000-05:00

(part of a series of 'can't live without it' items....see the rest here)

maple sunrise cereal, and it's cousin, crunchy vanilla sunrise

the description of the maple sunrise says "real maple taste"...emphasis on the real. it totally tastes like you poured maple syrup (like, the good stuff) over some crunchy amaranthy-millety-quinoaey goodness.

the vanilla one tastes like rice crispie squares.

ultimately, they both taste like eating bad for you sugar cereal, but with totally good for you ingredients!

chimes ginger chews

these are one of those things that you put in your mouth (that's what she said) the starts off tasting one way, and ends up tasting a completely different way towards the end. starts sweet, then really mangoey, then super gingery and spicy towards the end. and what an excellent texture! it's like gum...that dissolves...don't know how else to describe it?

cuisinart frozen yogourt/sorbet/ice cream maker

i got it from costco, and i am thoroughly obsessed. i can't find it on any official cuisinart website, so maybe it's one of those made-especially-for-costco kind things. mine is bright purple!!!! it works so well, the chef got two for work. and she makes fancy-dancy ice cream for her fancy-dancy desserts!

i have only made frozen yogourt thus far, and anyone can do it. this is the recipe...buy a tub of greek yogourt, sweeten it with whatever you want (agave, maple syrup, brown rice syrup, good ol' sugar) and add in whatever fixin's or flavourins ya want (raspberries, chocolate chips, mango chunks, cocoa, vanilla etc) put it all in the tub and whirl away! deeeelish!

alexia fries (particularly, sweet potato)

sometimes, frozen options are nice to have around. sometimes however, you decide to bake some of these fries off when its 34 degrees out and then you remember that you don't have air conditioning...oy. these all natural fries are scrumptious. they are coated in some sort of crunchy goodness, and crisp up much nicer than if you made them from scratch (don't get me wrong, i love some homemade sweet tater fries...these are particular faves). i imagine if you have kids, these would be handy dandy...i'm pretty sure mama pea has figured that one out for herself (she also made a dill pickle version..yum!). best part? you can get 'em at costco now!

instagram photos on the chef's new iphone...seriously...the proof is in the pudding, just check these beauties out!

what are you faithful readers obsessed with lately?

the mmm chronicles

2011-07-29T09:25:00.000-05:00

there hasn't been much time for blogging lately, which isn't really a problem, since there hasn't been much cooking going on lately. i think i feel a shift coming though, especially after a trip to the farmer's market this weekend.

even though there hasn't been a lot of cooking, there's certainly been a plethora of eating...even if it hasn't been at home, necessarily...

let's digress through really bad blackberry photos, shall we? just pretend the blurriness is an awesome affect sort of like instagram photos, only the ~~horrifyingly awful~~ unique blackberry version...

we spent last friday afternoon with the chef's grandma, who invited us over for a "cold plate". i had never heard of a cold plate, let alone experienced one. this is the best recipe i can find for a cold plate online...mm hmm. my ocd tendencies quite loves the cold plate, as everything has it's place. my retro sensibilities love a cold plate as there is celery with cheez whiz. i had lots of questions like...what makes up the "blue" part of red, white and blue potato salad? but then i realized i didn't care...as it was deliciously in all of it's baconny, mayonnaisy glory.

i might have forgotten to mention that for lunch that day, we splurged (in calories, fat content, and in $$) and had lunch at smoke's poutinerie, which pretty much took winnipeg by storm a few months back when it opened. i got the pulled pork, and the chef got the bacon cheeseburger. i would say that i tend to agree with the current urbanspoon rating of 66%. i think this is a once a year kind of treat...the kind that fun, different and "something to do"...but you're not really there for the excellent food.
the fries themselves were pretty good, the gravy was just average, and i found the chipotle pulled pork overly sweet. i will say that even having the smaller size, the portion size was above average, and the service was efficient and quick. there was a line-up, but nothing too outrageous. overall, i think smoke's is going to be most successful with the after-the-bar "im drunk let's eat fried food" crowd, and kudos to them for supplying the need for this demanding crowd. all-in-all, i'd say if you want a really freakin' good poutine, get the one at cafe carlo...it's to die for.

there's been a lot of sweets + treats sampling going of the chef's creations from work. from the best strawberry shortcake of my life, to the amazing chocolates sheen been concocting, i haven't turned anything down yet (no matter how calorie dense) and am constantly wowed by her. how beautiful are those chocolates? i love those red ones best. cuz red is best, after all. anyone else but me used to be obsessed with that book?

it's hard to hit up the st. norbert farmers market without picking up a roll or two from j.t. spring roll. the urbanspoon rating is bang on at 100%. these spring rolls are the shit. crispy, crunchy and flavourful..and excellently sized if you ask me. generally it's the only snack i want at the farmer's market, as we are usually there at an odd hour after breakfast, but too early for lunch. but there is no time restriction on spring rolls, if you ask me. i've also heard really good things about their bahn mi sandwiches at their cart on broadway, if you're into that thang (i sure am!). if you're looking for another spring roll fix...spring roll restaurant on notre dame also makes a mean one (preferably chicken or shrimp with peas)....come to think of it, they better, based on the name of the joint!

and just a parting thought...how cute is this dog?

you must be triflin'

2011-07-18T15:09:00.001-05:00

as we all know, this gal likes to bake. a lot, in fact.
what makes this gal sad, is that if she were to bake right now, her and her family may die a slow painful death from heat exhaustion (how many people have heard me say "this is the perfect house....except for the lack of air conditioning!) and i really like the chef alive (and our little dog too!)
this is the forecast my computer is currently giving me...
and people think that winnipeg is cold....pft!
it's a sad scene when you think 28 on friday will be "nice"! yikes!

and for my american counterparts...36 degrees celcius = 97 degrees farenheit...
no wonder we're the slurpee capital of the world!

"Despite its status as a very cold city and with a population of only 700,000,[4] Winnipeg, MB was crowned the Slurpee Capital of the World for the twelfth time in a row in 2011. 7-Eleven stores across Winnipeg sell an average of 188,833 Slurpee drinks per month. The rest of Canada sells an average of 179,700 per month, which makes Winnipeggers the world leader of Slurpee sales."

just shoot me. or pass me a slurpee!
i digress...what's a gal to do when guests are coming, and dessert needs to be served? hmm, something that requires no source of heat, and little to no exertion on my part. something summery and crowd pleasing. only one thing can answer all of these calls.

trifle.

i think trifle is one of those things that
a) differs from family to family or even country to country
b) you can make with what you have on hand
c) can only be decorated as simply and nicely as the one above by a real-life pastry chef

it's always a hit. even "non-dessert eater" (seriously?!) are seen scooping heaping servings of this heaven-on-a-plate treat onto their paper or styrophome plates at pot-lucks, baby showers and bat-mitzvah brunches alike.

this version was made in celebration of our favourite 15 year olds dance recital. (wait a second, she's our favourite any-age-old person). it happens to be (in my opinion) trifle perfection. simple, sweet (but not overly) creamy, and lacking anything that could make it too soggy, too liquory, or too hard to scoop.

now, i'm not about to call this a "recipe" as store-bought vanilla pudding was used, and there is really no tried and true method of construction. this isn't a true trifle, as i think an honest trifle has liquor, custard and lady fingers/pound cake or something along those lines (who needs to be honest these days...really?)

pretty much, you'll need the following things:
vanilla pudding (or you can make this one, as i have and it's tops!)
lightly sweetened whipped cream
berries (we used strawberries, blackberries and blueberries)
angel food cake cut into bite-sized chunks

you then simply layer all of the above until your trifle bowl is filled to the brim, finishing with a layer of whipped cream and topping with whatever fruit you used as decoration.
the other excellent factor about trifle is, it gets better with age...so feel free to make it the night before!
oh, and always make more than you think you will need....always.

i'm going to contemplate running through a spinkler, and i'm definitely getting a slurpee!

eggcellence

2011-07-14T15:35:00.000-05:00

in this gal's opinion, eggs are the perfect food. without even trying very hard, i can think of 10 different methods of cooking eggs off the top of my head. and, when you're trying to ensure that you get enough protein since you're not eating as much meat nowadays, eggs can't really be topped, housing all nine essential amino acids (making it a complete protein).

i always love going out for breakfast with a new crowd of people because i really believe that you can tell a lot about a person based on how they order their eggs...my ways are always changing, so i don't know what that says about me...sometimes scrambled, sometimes over easy, sometimes egg white only, sometimes hard boiled, lately pour n' poke...i'm really not picky.
i'd say topping the list, is a good egg salad. nothin' quite like an egg salad sandwich, preferably on toasted (and cooled) pumpernickle bread, with nice crispy lettuce. not to mention that making anything that involves not using the oven right now sounds right up my alley. i even ate this stuff for breakfast the next day (i'm usually more of a savoury breakfast gal then a sweet breakfast gal....oh wait, but i have had a penchant for berries and liberte greek yogurt lately since you can now get it everywhere all of a sudden...hoorah!)

this egg salad was directly inspired by this one over at joy the baker. her stuff is always appealing to me, it always just looks so...edible! the mustard adds something excellent to this salad, but the lemon is what really makes it sing. don't skimp on the lemon!

eggcellence egg salad
makes 4 sandwiches worth

8 eggs, hard boiled & peeled
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon grainy mustard
juice of 1/4 - 1/2 lemon
1 tablespoon flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
1 tablespoon chives, finely chopped
2 tablespoons red onion, finely diced
salt and pepper to taste

1. chop hard boiled eggs into little pieces, either with a knife if you're brave, or an egg slicer (like me!)
2. place all ingredients in a bowl and mix until well combined
3. season with salt and pepper and voila! you're done!

and sorry, my pals, for the lack of blogging lately. a cold kept me glued to the couch for an extended period of time, and a lost memory stick really put things to a hault, but we're back in action!

bacon the train again

2011-06-28T14:20:00.000-05:00

tell me that someone figured out the play on words above...

lately, the chef and i have been cutting back on our meat/poultry/fish intake. not for any one reason in particular, but for a few minor reasons that all seemed to add up.
first, in my opinion, meat is just too convenient. it's just too easy to decide to make chicken for dinner, as opposed to having to plan for a good veggie meal, with enough protein, etc.
second, meat makes up an enormous part of our regular grocery bill. we buy boatloads of veggies anyways, so we might as well just buy more. and with the costs of groceries going up so steadily, cutting back on something just seems fiscally sensible.
third, we ran out of meat, and just simply didn't replenish.

we were going to try to go completely vegan, just for the challenge, but then we realized that i hate fake-meat substitute products, and we don't really like to eat too much soy (especially processed soy), so veganism might just not be a good fit for us. vegetarianism wouldn't really be difficult for us at all, but i don't like being that person who is invited to someones home for dinner and has to say "by the way, i don't eat _____" so, ultimately, flexitarian it is! i also really love bacon, and that's where today's recipe comes into play.

bacon...a favourite indulgence of mine. it adds so much to so many things, and brunch just ain't the same without it. case in point...so many tshirt options related to bacon out there! this shirt is my particular fave.
on the opposite (and so very much more healthy) end of the spectrum, i also really love swiss chard. i know i have lamented my love for kale, but i might love swiss chard just as much (anyone ever tried to make swiss chard chips instead of kale chips?). i think of chard as the less bitter cousin to kale...kale would be the punk rock band member cousin to the ballet-class taking swiss chard.

i try to get as much green stuff in at dinner, and sometimes that just goes hand in hand with cooking it with bacon! when i saw this recipe on deliciously organic, i immediately sent word to the chef to bring home the bacon! (pun intended although it's also totally literal) so when picked her up from the restaurant, she had a pocket full of saran wrapped bacon slices.

i also recalled that some extra cute sprigs of thyme were growing on the front porch (shockingly, we haven't killed it yet...the basil however...RIP).

this chard has been made twice since that day, each day better than i remembered the last being. i only saute it for a few moments, just to get the crunch out of the chard, as it keeps softening as you serve it. the recipe calls for 2 pieces of bacon (pfft!) i used like....at least 5 thick-cut slices the first time, which honestly was a bit much. the second time, for a double recipe, i used 10 thin-cut slices...so i would say that the perfect amount for a regular batch would be 4 regular-cut slices. phew! that was way too much math for this lil' blogger.
the second time i made this was when the bff and her bf (new homeowners! yay!) came over for dinner (respite from unpacking boxes...no one likes unpacking boxes...). i'm pretty sure the bff and i polished off three servings each of this gift of a side dish.

all in all, this recipe has become a staple for me, and i will certainly use the method with other veg soon (method = cook stuff in bacon fat....nuff said).

makes an extra delish side to runny eggs, by the way...best dinner of the week (oh wait, except for those veg burritos last night, those were killer...)

let them eat cake!

2011-06-22T14:28:00.000-05:00

seriously, it's been birthday central around here lately!
and further proof that this blog has come full circle, this post is all about the bff's birthday cake, which was one of the first posts about a year ago (or wait a second...exactly a year ago!).

since last year's pink lady cake was such a sucess, this year's needed to top it. not to mention that this year i had the ability to bake the cake with a full arsenal of proper equipment behind me, and a bonified pastry chef in my corner (last year our stuff was in boxes and we were living in limbo...but those times are a distant memory now...)

this cake was really a " team f " effort. i made the cake and the filling, the (pastry) chef made the frosting, and we both sprinkled and decorated to our hearts content, all the while keeping the birthday happiness of the bff at heart.

cake & frosting flavours were pondered over a few weeks, but in this case, sticking with the classics was the ultimate choice. chocolate cake, with white filling & frosting - and lots of sky high layers for some drama. but i thought to myself...what could make this cake fun...it is afterall a party! ...and that's when i came accross this inspiration from sprinkle bakes.
(ps...how cute is that dog?! ...me thinks gertie needs a crown!).

bottomline...sprinkles = party

selecting which chocolate cake to make was the biggest decision of all. have you ever noticed that everyone has a chocolate recipe that is "the best" or "the easiest" or pretty much just their stand by? well, this one has now become mine. moist, chocolately, deep dark brown, and simple to make.

the recipe is from bon appetit desserts, which was given to me by ang's aunt & her daughters for my birthday this year. it was the inaugural recipe try-out for the book, and so far, 1 for 1!
actually, speaking of birthdays, i also got this book twice, and one was exchanged for this book, so expect some excellence from those coming up soon! (thanks to courtney & mike and jordana & patty for enhancing my cookbook collection!)

ultimately, the process for layering and frosting the cake is the same as in this post.
the (pastry) chef made the cream cheese frosting, but if you need a recipe for that, head on over here.

chocolate layer cake
from bon appetit desserts

2 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
½ cup cocoa powder
½ cup boiling water
½ cup buttermilk

1 1/3 cup cake flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt

1 1/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened to room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs

preheat oven to 350 degrees farenheit
1. place chopped chocolate and cocoa powder into small bowl and pour boiling water overtop. whisk until smooth, then add buttermilk, whisking constantly until smooth and set aside
2. whisk flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl and set aside
3. in bowl of electric mixer, cream butter & brown sugar together until well combined and almost fluffy. add vanill and eggs and mix until fluffed up, making sure to scrape down the sides a few times.
4. add chocolate mixture & flour mixture to mixer bowl and mix until well combined
5. butter two 9" cake pans & insert a parchment circle in the bottom of the pan. butter parchment as well.
secret tip: this site has good instructions on how to make a parchment circle...skip the flour part though
6. pour half of the cake mixture into each of the pans, and bake for 10 minutes. after ten minutes, rotate pans and bake until a cake tester (toothpick, bamboo skewer) inserted in the centre comes out clean (about another 15 minutes in my oven)
7. allow cakes to cool completely on cooling rack and then invert onto saran wrap and peel off parchment paper. wrap each cake layer separately and fully in saran wrap and freeze overnight before you assemble the cake (secret tip: freezing the cake over night ensures that the cake will be super duper moist and makes it waaay easier to even out/assemble - more info in this post)

seriously, how simple is that? or as ina would say, "how easy is that?!" (did you know that she has trademarked that term!...seriously ina?)

ultimately, a fun cake, for a fun gal.
and a gal that has been my friend for 25 years deserves only the best!
happy birthday j!

lastly, i apparently missed the boat on the last post...but....

happy 100th (and now 101st) post!

aww, this lil' blog grows up soo fast!

hot tamale!

2011-06-20T10:31:00.000-05:00

last wednesday, the weather forecast said it was not only going to rain for the next four days...it was going to pour. after four days of hot, hot sunny days, this forecast only further confirmed my newly formed life lesson...that weather forecasters are only good at one thing....being wrong.
they really screw with my meal planning, ya know? if it's going to be dreary and rainy, i'm going to plan for warm and comfy foods, and i'm going to save the meals that are cool and refreshing for those searingly hot and humid days, when turning on the oven just seems criminal.

so, this is a recipe for one of those cold and rainy days. i think this dish is officially considered tex-mex. i made up the recipe as i went, based on what i thought tamale pie was supposed to be like. considering i've never had tamale pie, i can't really say if this is the real deal, but it was tasty, comforting and just as good as leftovers as it was the first day, so i'm gonna say it was a winner! i was inspired to make it after mama pea made a tempeh version. this is the meaty version, using ground pork which adds an incredible amount of flavour when used in place of ground beef in typical recipes like tacos, asian stir-frys, etc.

this recipe is heavy on the corn, and when you're like me and consider corn one of your top three fave foods, that's a good thing. it also uses canned olives, and if you are like me and the bff, and love the tinny taste of canned pitted black olives, you're in the money!

tamale pie

filling:
1 pound ground pork
1 cup white or red onion, chopped
1 large red bell pepper, chopped
1 large green bell pepper, chopped
3 teaspoons garlic, diced

1 15 ounce can tomato sauce
1 15 ounce can diced tomatoes (slightly drained)
1 can corn
1 can sliced ripe black olives (pitted)
3 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (if you like it hot...i don't)
salt and pepper to taste
1-2 cups shredded chedder (for topping) *optional

crust:
1 1/2 cups yellow cornmeal
1 teaspoon salt
4 cups cold water
1 teaspoon chili powder
4-6 tablespoons sour cream

preheat oven to 375 degrees fahrenheit
1. brown ground pork in dutch oven or stock pot (drain well if you are not using extra lean) then add in onions, bell peppers, and garlic and saute until onions are transparent and peppers are just slightly softened.
2. add tomato sauce, tomatoes, corn, olives, and spices and simmer on medium-low, uncovered until sauce has thickened up a bit. you do not want this to be runny. it should be the consistency of chili or stew even.
3. while filling is simmering, in a medium saucepan, combine cornmeal, salt, water and chili powder and cook over medium heat, stirring or whisking constantly, until thickened (but not super thick...you should still be able to stir with a whisk). remove from heat, and immediately stir/whisk in sour cream.
4. in a large (12"X8" worked for me) baking dish (pyrex, etc) spoon half of the cornmeal into the bottom of the pan and spread evenly over entire bottom
5. pour filling into pan, and spread evenly throughout entire pan
6. spoon remaining cornmeal mixture in six or eight large clumps evenly distributed over filling mixture, then using a rubber spatula or even just a soup spoon, spread cornmeal over, ensuring no spaces are left behind (as this will cause the filling to boil and bubble through onto the top of your lovely yellow crust).
7. bake for 45 minutes, or until crust is hardened and browned.
8. if desired, sprinkle with cheese 5 minutes before pie is done, and allow to brown before serving
9. serve with sour cream, and diced green onions if you like!

note: don't start making your cornmeal mixture until your filling is almost totally thickened, as the cornmeal gets thick really fast!