24.2.10

Kiara’s Christening

Posted by Marvin Allen |



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Last Sunday I had to go to my dad’s cousin’s daughter’s kid’s christening. You can say family, I think? Anyway, after the church service, we ended up at Fu Lam. A chinese buffet my family tends to frequent a lot. I for one haven’t been there in almost half a year and there was nothing to eat at home, so I tagged along for the free meal.

When I go to buffets I like trying a little bit of everything, and that’s what I did. I started with a bowl of Birds Nest Soup. The tofu was well cooked but very bland. The broth was way too salty and had a weird after taste. Not great, I should’ve went for the standard and safer looking Wonton Soup. Back in the food pit, I grabbed a plate and started going down the aisles. For a Chinese restaurant they sure have lots of non Chinese things on the menu.

My first trip down the aisle landed me with some really good fried chicken wings, run of the mill onion rings and curly fries, a soggy slice of pizza, a couple hushpuppies, and well, I needed something Chinese so a took a little General Tao Chicken. Everything was fine, the chicken was surprisingly good, and everything that had chicken in it, like the hushpuppies and the Tao was also pretty good. What do the Chinese know about making pizza, I’ve had better frozen stuff, and the fries and onion rings were Bell Province quality, not bad but not great. I went for seconds. This time I got some limp greens, some fried noodles, and more of that chicken, because its really that good.

Time for desert. I went straight for the Jello, I love Jello. They only had red or green. I went with red, and it tasted like strawberry, maybe cherry, I’m not really sure. All I remember is that it wasn’t that good. The Jello felt tough like it wasn’t mixed properly. Kind of disappointing, I really like Jello. Then I took a couple of tiny pastries, each more underwhelming than the last. At least the cake made for the celebration was great. A thick two layer mocha vanilla cake with vanilla butter cream icing, very good.

Overall, its a buffet, meaning everything is salty and greasy, and that’s what makes it great or awful depending if you’re one of those glass half full or half empty people. This isn’t the first time I’ve been here, and unfortunately it won’t be my last. However, with enough good people and a cheap price, Fu Lam is tolerable. That’s Chinese Buffet Fu Lam, 3500 boulevard de la Cote-Vertu, Saint-Laurent, QC.


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22.2.10

Refuelling Run

Posted by Marvin Allen |



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It’s reading week, i.e. spring break, so I took the weekend off testing my will, endurance, and courage with a video game marathon, among other things. Like clockwork, those other things got in the way. Damn my human need for food. For me that means candy run, but the cold got the better of me, which only means one thing, hot chocolate.

I rushed to the supermarket, went straight to the milk case, and grabbed a carton of 3% and a spray can of whipped cream, but I still needed something to gnaw at. I surveyed the area on a mission, and across the way I saw it, cookie dough, perfect. Then I took way too long picking between powdered or syrup chocolate mix. I settled on the powder, but found that the tiny marshmallows on the box would simply not do. So I grabbed a sizeable bag of marshmallows before heading to the checkout. In line, I realized I forgot the caramel sauce, but before I knew it I paid and was out the door. Not bad for ten bucks.

At home, I made a bee line to the kitchen and preheated the oven. I took inventory of my ingredients, grabbed a baking sheet and a mug for the hot chocolate. I heat my milk to boiling in the microwave. The trick is the whipped cream, it cools it down to make it all nice and warm to prevent scolding your tongue, something I learned the hard way. With bake and prep time, it took about 15 minutes. Cleaning and travel time notwithstanding.

Here are the spoils of my little adventure. Now excuse me, back to gaming.


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19.2.10

Thursday is For Sandwiches

Posted by Courtney |



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When I was in my early 20s, my Dad started a deli. I was granted the supreme honor of running it and I came up with the concept of the stackable sandwich. Basically we would allow people to purchase unlimited amounts of shaved deli meats to add to their sandwich at 100 grams at a time. That, on top of the fact that every veggie every known to be eaten by man were in the sandwiches, made these sammies huge. We would then measure them and take a polaroid to keep track of the tallest ones. It was a good marketing ploy to upsell on a simple sandwich. Once you held the title of creating the tallest sandwich, you definitely wanted to hold on to it at pretty much all costs. Anyway. I survived the deli scene and have grown since then but I still love making me those mile high stackable sandwiches. John absolutely loves them too.

Last night we had deli night and, though the sandwiches themselves were not as huge as the record-setting ones at my Dad's deli, they were pretty fantastic. We started with fresh baked sandwich buns from the bakery, with a little bit of cream cheese, mayo, regular mustard and dijon, added slices of cuke, tomato, avocado, aged cheddar, sweet orange pepper, and shaved red onions. Then there was shaved roast beef draped all over it, butter lettuce, fresh cracked pepper and salt. They were so good we had to take a picture for old time's sake:



And of course, my baby boy had to have his own version, the "Sandwich Deconstructed" which was being watched ever so patiently by my other baby boy, Rocky:



All in all, a successful deli night. Next time, roasted turkey on sourdough!


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18.2.10

Lust for Life: TasteSpotting

Posted by Courtney |



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When I loaded this awesome new web site, I have to admit, I did a little Iggy Pop shuffle. This site lists recipes and food by picture. See something you like, then click on it and find the recipe. "See something you like"... I say that as though there could be a chance you won't see anything you like. Humbug, I can't stop shifting my gaze from Tiramisu to Beignets to Chili rubbed pork to fruit salsa! Give yourself a few hours before visiting this one. This is bottle of wine and all-nighter material. You know those nights when you find yourself in the kitchen, covered in flour, tipsy at 4am? Check it out: TasteSpotting.

Follow them on Twitter: @tastespotting


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17.2.10

I love This Book: Jamie's America

Posted by Courtney |



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Anyone who's been following this blog for any time at all, knows I love Jamie Oliver. Not just because he's a great chef and his recipes rock my world, but also because he is one of the most socially conscious chefs out there. That's pretty important to me considering about half my time is spent doing unpaid work to raise awareness for various causes. I love to support as much of Jamie's work as I can, and that definitely includes reading his books. Jamie's America is a fantastic one. I have always loved the idea of an American road trip. I have driven down the West Coast and back several times, and two years ago I had the absolute SUPREME pleasure of visiting the most friendly place I have ever been to (which says a lot considering I' been to 16 countries before I was 16), New Orleans, which is an amazing city for food. But other than that, I haven't really been to many places in the USA outside of airport stopovers. A dream would be to travel the country on a food tour. Although, from what I learned in New Orleans, the southern part of the tour would have to be a food and gym tour.

Jamie's America includes a lot of great recipes and stories from across America and is definitely worth the read. It accompanies a new show in Britain called Jamie's American Road Trip, for which you can see a hilarious promo vid up here: Jamie Dancing

Buy the book! Enjoy!


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15.2.10

Feast of St. Valentine

Posted by Courtney |



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Yesterday my baby daddy bought me a pile of chocolates far too large, so in return I cooked him dinner. Here's what I made:

Rib Eye steak: seasoned with fresh cracked pepper & kosher salt and that's all cause I wanted to keep the flavors subtle. Seared on both side in a piping hot pan then finished in the oven. When I took them out, I let them rest, obviously and threw a few shallots, minced, in the pan to sweat a bit, then deglazed all the brown bits with red wine. I added a dash of Worcestershire sauce, salt an lots of fresh cracked pepper and let the wine reduce. Then I sliced the well-rested rib eye, plated it and spooned the wine sauce all over it.

Scallops and Bacon - I wrapped the fresh scallops in bacon, seasoned with fresh cracked pepper and kosher salt then baked until the bacon and scallops were both cooked nicely. Our house smelled like Heaven while this cooked.

Arugula salad: Baby arugula leaves, halved cherry tomatoes, grated parmesan and homemade vinaigrette. Olive oil, balsamic vinegar, apple cider vinegar, kosher salt, fresh cracked pepper, and dijon mustard. Also acceptable in this mix would have been any fresh herbs and lemon juice.

I have to tell you, baby daddy was a very happy man. Here's a pic, though it was taken with an iphone so it's not the best quality and my plating could use redo, haha:




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12.2.10

Jamie Oliver's TED Wish

Posted by Courtney |



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I love to watch celebrity chefs on TV. I love Top Chef, Emeril's bamming, Rob Rainford counting steamboats and all of Paula Dean's buttery y'alls, but one chef in particular really has me in absolute awe, repeatedly. Jamie Oliver makes a lot of money. He is recognized the world over as the Naked chef, the guy who never chops up his fresh herbs, he just tears them apart and throws them in the mix, the guy with muddy knees in his garden taking a bite out of a freshly picked tomato. There is no questioning the fact that this man can cook. He could easily get away with just laying back in his spare time and reaping the benefits of celebrity chefdom. But he doesn't. He relentlessly, tirelessly and thanklessly fights to save people from their own eating habits. He is a modern-day hero, and I guarantee he's save many lives already and will continue to do so well into the future, long past his own time.

Recently, Jamie Oliver was awarded the TED Prize. For those of you who don't know what TED is, it stands for Technology, Entertainment, Design and it's a yearly conference which started in 1984 has played host to many talks that will, quite simply, blow your mind. You can visit the TED website to watch past TED talks, but I warn you, it is highly addictive.

Each year, TED gives out a TED prize:
The TED Prize is designed to leverage the TED Community's exceptional array of talent and resources. It is awarded annually to three exceptional individuals who each receive $100,000 and, much more important, the granting of "One Wish to Change the World." After several months of preparation, they unveil their wish at an award ceremony held during the TED Conference. These wishes have led to collaborative initiatives with far-reaching impact.
This is Jamie Oliver's TED Wish:



To Help Jamie with this worthy wish, visit: http://www.tedprize.org/

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Help out some lonely and sick puppies for free and win a trip to Playa Del Carmen so you can meet our friends at the Peanut Pet Shelter? Stay in a beautiful villa for 5 nights free? And drink tequila? Eat fish tacos? Arrachera? Guacamole??!! MAYAN CHOCOLATE?? On this beach?

http://www.travel-guider.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/playa-del-carmen_hotels-15.jpg

No-brainer! All you have to do is just click the following two buttons : Vote and Win and that’s it! You’re done. Come back every day and do the same thing for more chances to win. *** Vote for the Peanut Pet Shelter of Mexico and You must be logged in to Twitter for the Tweet button to work.
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We all know why St. Valentine was canonized. He invented chocolate and aphrodisiacs. I get tired of hearing people whine about Valentine's Day. Even when I was single I loved it. Valentine's is about celebrating who you love, even if you're not getting any. If you can't see that even your little one, your furry friend or your Mom can be as profound a Valentine as anyone else, you're probably heading for a life of cheap wine and World of Warcraft. Which is O.K. for some I suppose. Not for me. I love a lot of people. None more so than my son and his "dee-da". But if you don't even have a guinea pig to call your own, Valentine's can always about chocolate and food. How is that a bad thing? This Valentine's, the three of us and our fuzzy bum friend, Rocky (though no chocolate for doggies, guys!) will be knee-deep in some of these Valentine's treats:

From local Vancouver chef, Rob Feenie: Gooey Chocolate Valentine's Cake

From the Gourmet Cupcake Company - Chocolate Truffle Rose Cupcakes

From Valerie Confections: Single Malt Scotch Truffles

Monkey Mommy: Puffy Pink Popcorn Hearts

For a good Buzz: X-Rated Sangria

And a guaranteed delicious savory bite: Sweetheart Shrimp

Sweetheart Shrimp on a bed of Couscous with a Balsamic Reduction Drizzle

So stop whining and go love somebody. At least love some damned food.


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9.2.10

We're Number 1: Vancity Has Best Chinese

Posted by Courtney |



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Vancouver Chinese food best in the world: Conde Nast
Downtown Vancouver at Night 3Gee, shucks. Can Vancouverites take all the compliments?

First, The Economist calls Vancouver the world's most livable city (2009 ranking) and now Conde Nast Traveler says in its February issue that the city has the best Chinese food in the world.

With apologies to Hong Kong, Beijing, Singapore, Taipei, San Francisco and other contenders, Vancouver humbly accepts the honour.

Tracked down in Toronto, Conde Nast Traveler writer Mark Schatzker says: "I would say I've eaten Chinese food all over North America and in China and the best I've eaten in the world was in Vancouver. Hands down. From the point of view of Conde Nast Traveler, that's unquestionably so.

"I was shocked at how good the food was. It's funny when I was first told (by local Chinese food writer Stephanie Yuen) that it was the best in the world, I was skeptical. I thought it was hyperbole but by the end, I thought, no, she's right. In China, apart from a couple of exceptions, the food isn't much different from better restaurants in Toronto, New York. But the experience in Vancouver left me trembling."


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9.2.10

New Blog: No Thank You Bite

Posted by Courtney |



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Someone on Twitter told me to check out this bog, and though it's fairly new, I totally dig it. I wish I had the opportunity to blog all my wins and fails in my kitchen, but with 1 yr old & 34 yr old boys, dinner time is way too nuts at my house. hehe. nuts. Dammit I forgot to buy cashews for my Thai cashew chicken. Where was I? Right. New blog, check it out: http://www.nothankyoubite.blogspot.com/ and make sure you read the one about the pork, it sounds damned good.

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5.2.10

What's in Your Super Bowl?

Posted by Courtney |



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If I was to host a Super Bowl party this weekend, which I am not because Brady Quinn will not be gracing the field, this is what I'd throw at my guests:

First thing's first: Bevvies. This is easy. Beer. Not Mexican beer, not Budweiser, but a real robust beer with flavor. I'm thinking Sleeman's Honey Brown, Alexander Keith's or maybe Moosehead. Beyond cold. Rootbeer and Ginger Ale for the kiddies, pregos and straight edgers.

For the health nuts in my circle of friends and family: Hahaha, go home.

For the main event, I would probably do my super spicy, falling off the bones grilled ribs. These start with a paste rubbed on them 24 hours in advance, consisting of cayenne pepper, fresh cracked black pepper, garlic, extra virgin olive oil, a pinch of onion powder, Worcestershire sauce, a pinch of cumin, two pinches of dry mustard and lots of kosher salt. The consistency must be paste. SMEAR and leave in the fridge for 24 hours. Peaking is allowed. Pull out of the fridge and let them come to room temp, wipe off excess paste, then throw them in the oven and bake about an hour at 350, covered in foil. Then throw them on a grill and slather them with BBQ sauce and let grill until they nicely carmelize, then turn and do the same on the other side. My BBQ sauce: campbell's tomato soup, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, white vinegar, mustard seends, salt and pepper and just make it to taste. I never measure. I prefer mine extra vinegar-y and I love excess mustard seeds beause I love the little pop of them in my mouth. John, not so much. Of course, the mustard seeds are going to make it a bit spicy, so if there are kids or spice-tarded people present, go mild on 'em.

I'd have to get John to do his buffalo wings because they are fantastic. I know there's some marinating involved, as well a lot of butter, and deep frying so if you're looking to take a few inches off the hips, maybe you shouldn't have come to my Super Bowl party, nes pas?

Ok, Ok, bean salad for some freshness. Canned: chick peas, kidney beans, corn. Drain, put in a bowl. Mince some fresh garlic. Do the same with some fresh parsley. I like a lot of garlic but seriously a little goes a long way because it's raw. Extra virgin olive oil, squeeze half a lemon, and pour in some white vinegar (I usually use pickling vinegar for extra vinegar-y tartness) and salt and pepper to taste. Some people have been known to throw a bit of fresh mint in. Yummy.

Baked Beans!! Ok, so crisp up some bacon in a frying pan. Like lots of it. This is not Wimbledon. This is the NFL. Take out the bacon and put aside. Throw into the bacon fat in the pan, some diced onions. Let them sweat out in the bacony goodness for a while. Then throw them in a pot filled with some deep browned beans, Heinz is my fave - no super sweet ones though, like maple or what-have-you. Just plain old, deep brown beans. Throw in your bacon, add a lot of regular prepared mustard, Worcestershire sauce, a bit of garlic powder and a tiny bit of salt. The bacon is going to add some salt, so go easy. Then bake in the oven at 325 in a casserole dish until the top starts to get a little browner and crusty. I like to serve it with sliced, toasted and garlic-rubbed pieces of french bread as a sort of scoop.

So, what are you serving at your Super Bowl party?


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3.2.10

Poutine Calzone

Posted by Courtney |



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Canadian Calzone Poutine (fries, cheese & brown gravy) cooked inside a calzone and deep fried. (submitted by Caoer Jess)

If this is Canadian, we're going to make a fool of ourselves at the Olympics.

via: This is Why You're Fat

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