
31 March 2009
Leftover pasta; Caffè Artigiano

30 March 2009
Leftovers; english muffin; wake-up snack

29 March 2009
Pasta; The Wire S02

I made this pasta sauce (Classico Italian Sausage, green peppers, canned diced tomatoes, black olives and thyme) in the afternoon while procrastinating from cleaning the apartment. Another late, late lunch at Akira Sushi, and a late night pasta dinner accompanied by Season 2 of The Wire, which is starting out pretty slow . . .
28 March 2009
Irish Heather


Guinnesses with the Whitecapettes after work last night means that I abandoned my month of sobriety a few days early. A weak end for the weekend. I had braised beef with mashed potatoes at the Irish Heather. Probably the best mashed potatoes that I've had -- mixed with what seemed to be bits of crackling. Mmmm, crackling.
Labels:
afterwork drinks,
beer,
eating out,
Guinness,
Irish,
Vancouver
26 March 2009
Thai Away Home



25 March 2009
Western Spaghetti
Rather than force you to look at another photo of my epic casserole, which I ate yet again this evening, I suggest that you please watch this. Also: Happy six-month anniversary to Michelle-Meals!
24 March 2009
22 March 2009
Baked Chicken with Rice & Black Beans


. . . whatever works.
Baked Chicken and Rice with Black Beans
(from Southern Living, via Love at First Bite)
1 package Mexican Rice Sidekicks
1/2 large onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 cup chopped carrots
1 jalapeno pepper, diced
3 chicken breast halves, cooked and cubed (don't overcook!)
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 large can diced tomatoes
6 slices Monterey Jack cheese
1. Sauté the onions, pepper and carrots for about 10 minutes. Throw in the jalapeno for the last 2 minutes.
2. Prepare the rice as per package instructions.
3. Mix all ingredients together in a large casserole dish and top with cheese.
4. Bake covered for 30 minutes at 350°F, then uncovered for another ten minutes.
Eeeeeeaaaaaasy. And tasty.
Labels:
black beans,
casserole,
chicken,
easy,
favourite,
Mexican,
Monterey Jack,
Sidekicks
Happy Birthday Sonya!


We ate at Radha on Main Street, a vegan restaurant in an old wood and brick building in Chinatown that doubles as a yoga studio. It was very good. I ate this:
• Roasted beet & apple salad with beet-horseradish dressing, hazelnuts and sprouts
• Chickpea & spinach coconut curry with root vegetables, brown basmati rice and cilantro-hempseed chutney
• Raw ‘super-food’ chocolate mousse tart with goji berries, hempseeds and cacao, almond and coconut crust
20 March 2009
San Pellegrino and other things I did not cook

Uhhh... Pizzo Pizza again. I've fallen off the cooking horse lately and devoted those hours after work to long naps instead. I blame Daylight Savings Time. And I'm ridiculously busy next week so I'll be surprised if I manage to cook much at all for the next little while. Also tonight, San Pellegrino and nachos with hummus at The Whip.
18 March 2009
Pizza; Starbucks
16 March 2009
Smoked Salmon Caesar Salad II


15 March 2009
Leftovers; Radishes
Indian Lentil Stuffed Peppers


Indian Lentil Stuffed Peppers
4 red peppers
1 package Sidekicks (I used "Asian Chicken Fried Rice")
Indian Lentil instant soup (President's Choice, single serving)
sautéed onions and garlic
1 (generous) pinch garam masala
salt and pepper to taste
a few sprinkles red pepper flakes
a handful of red mustard seeds
Parmesan cheese (sprinkled on top)
Directions
Prepare the Sidekicks and soup as per label instructions. Mix together with sautéed onions and garlic and the rest of the spices, and cook on low heat until liquid has absorbed into rice. The details of the original recipe are here. I also broiled them for a couple minutes at the end to roast the peppers a little more.

14 March 2009
Lemon x 3

Friday March 13 -- There wasn't a time today when I wasn't completely full. There was no way I was going to turn down anything at breakfast, so I had another helping of the Fairholme granola and yogurt, Eggs Benedict, some strawberries, pineapple and kiwi . . . and this time fresh from the oven were lemon scones with chunks of white chocolate, pressed with a layer of coarse sugar and served with crème fraîche and homemade raspberry jam. This was my first time eating crème fraîche, and there couldn't have possibly been a better combination. This scone was in fact the best thing I tasted the entire trip.

It was another food-filled day on the set . . . still stuffed from breakfast, I allowed room for a lunch of Baked Salmon with Creamy Shrimp Sauce and Asparagus with Cherry Tomato Basil Vinaigrette, and then Roasted Red Pepper Hummus, Fig & Olive Tapenade, and Oatmeal Cookies with Mixed Fruit & Pecans, and finally I was sent on my way with a Glazed Lemon Cupcake-to-go. Too bad we didn't have these sciencey Pacific Coach Line chairs for a backdrop in the studio.

Labels:
crème fraîche,
ferry food,
lemon,
on the set,
travel,
Victoria
Fabulous Fairholme; Everyone Can Cook; Rebar


Thursday March 12 -- Thursday was a Victorian cookbook odyssey, beginning with breakfast at the Fairholme Manor. Owner/operator Sylvia Main served chocolate espresso loaf still warm from the oven, with scrambled eggs and slices of grapefruit, orange and kiwi. But most noteworthy of the morning was the homemade granola served with vanilla yogurt. So noteworthy it's one of the first recipes you'll find in the bed & breakfast's celebrated cookbook, Fabulous Fairholme. I've never experienced granola like this . . . I can't wait to try out the recipe at home.

I ate well on the set of Eric Akis's Everyone Can Cook for Celebrations photo shoot at Michael Tourigny's Studio: Chocolate Guinness Cake, Shrimp in Champagne Butter, Saffron Rice and Mashed Rutabagas, Prosciutto-wrapped Papaya with Brie and this Valentines Roasted Red Pepper Soup with Heart-Shaped Croutons. The studio is great and it was the most fun I've had on a food shoot. Eric and Michael have been working together on the Everyone Can Cook series for years, and with their lovely team of Lauras and Lighthouse brews on tap to cap off a hard day's work, they've got a great thing going.


a) busy (= popular = good food)
b) colourful decor and staff (not quite as important, but atmosphere still counts for something, especially when you're on your own in a strange city)
c) vegan options on the menu: I love my meat but I'm a sucker for the weirdest thing on the menu, and vegan menus necessitate alternative approaches to food.
Rather than ask for advice I relied on serendipity, and after wandering downtown for a while I (surprisingly) found exactly what I was looking for when I happened upon Rebar Modern Food, which also turned out to be the restaurant whose cookbook all my vegetarian friends rave about. Rebar was bustling with activity; soon after I arrived a line-up formed at the door. I had the (spicy!) Almond Burger with Monterey Jack cheese and (SPICY) housemade ketchup, a cup of (spicy) Orange Chipotle soup and a (not spicy -- just chocolatey) vegan walnut brownie to go.
Labels:
breakfast,
eating out,
on the set,
travel,
vegan,
Victoria
Ferry Food; Mini-Carton of Chocolate Milk


Midnight snack: a pillow chocolate at the Fairholme Manor!
10 March 2009
Leftovers; Caffè Artigiano
09 March 2009
Leftovers; Meringue Fail



Leftover braised beef with pasta. Also. Question: Can you make meringues using a blender? Answer: Not with my blender, anyway. I'm guessing it has something to do with the way the motor overheats and starts to basically cook whatever it is you're blending. In any case, tonight I made . . . "chocolate chip meringue bark."
08 March 2009
Braised Beef in Black Currant Cassis



I'm taking a month off drinking, but I had this stewing beef from Save-On Meats in the freezer and I've been dying for a second go at the red wine- braised beef. It couldn't wait until April, so I Googled red wine alternatives and found this handy list of alcohol substitutions in cooking -- from Amaretto to Vodka. Under red wine it lists the following: red grape juice, cranberry juice, chicken broth, beef broth, vegetable broth, clam juice, fruit juices, flavored vinegar. I once used R.W. Knudsen Family Organic Black Currant Cassis (available at Capers) as a substitution for red wine in a photo shoot -- which not only looked like red wine but also tasted delicious -- so I thought it would be the perfect substitute. And, I was right. I used 2 cups of the juice, and not only can you not tell the difference, it tasted even better this time, because I used less liquid and let it simmer and reduce for three hours into a thicker, heartier sauce. Best. Meal. Ever. For dessert: a mini cinnamon bun (or three).
CENTURY EGGS



06 March 2009
Pasta; Fisherman's Friends

Still sick. My body wanted soup. But my bank account wanted whatever was already in the cupboard. Also, I didn't want to leave the house; I made that mistake yesterday (even though it was a fun mistake). Soooo pasta it was. Mafalda Corta with Vegetarian Bolognese sauce (that sounds fancy, but really it's just pasta and sauce) with sautéed onions, peppers and grape tomatoes. Also some cottage cheese with strawberry rhubarb jam and many Fisherman's Friends.
Ukrainian Village Restaurant


04 March 2009
Lemon Zinger

Too sick to think. Dinner: BBQ Baked Beans; sourdough bread and butter; zaboca (that's West Indian for avocado) the way my mom serves it: quartered, pricked with a fork, sprinkled with salt and Worcestershire sauce. And a million cups of Lemon Zinger tea. I knocked over and spilled the entire contents of this particular one right after the photo was taken.
03 March 2009
Leftovers and Safeway snack shopping spree


Dinner
• leftover salmon
• carrots with blue cheese dip
• bowl of Shredded Wheat with brown sugar
Dinner companions
Peanut and Australia. This is Peanut's I-smell-fish face. And/or he is doing his Nicole Kidman impression again.
Midnight snacks
(following a Safeway shopping spree)
• sourdough bread with pepper pâté
• chocolate chewy cookies
• cottage cheese with strawberry rhubarb jam
• more sourdough bread with honey roasted peanut butter and strawberry rhubarb jam
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