A tentative relationship

September 24, 2008 at 8:10 pm (Uncategorized)

Haven’t blogged in awhile, but I’ve recently made (another) move toward eating healthier and exercising regularly. I’m happy to report that, as of Day 3, everything is going well! LOL

In an attempt to eat one meal a day that is carb-free, this was my supper tonight (after my jog…yay me!):

Super supper salad

Super supper salad

You’ll notice the hard-boiled egg.

Anyone who knows me well may be somewhat confused by its presence on my plate, because up until about 5-6 years ago, I detested eggs. Always have, even as a baby. It was just one of those weird food aversions — illogical and mostly inexplicable.

But somewhere in my mid-twenties, I decided to give them another try. Even I had to admit, as a food, the ubiquitous egg is somewhat hard to avoid. They’re everywhere. So, exhausted by the effort of avoiding “nature’s only complete protein” and constantly justifying my dislike for them, I held my nose and dove in… to a plate of scrambled eggs.

And I was pleasantly surprised. Not bad, or at the very least edible. I didn’t throw up or pass out, and the world didn’t suddenly implode. So, very slowly, my tentative relationship with the egg blossomed. It even grew to include quiche and omelette. My only two cardinal rules: 1) the eggs must never be runny; AND 2) the white and the yolk must never be distinguishable from each other.

Until tonight, those rules had served me well, enabling me to carry on a mostly uncomplicated relationship with the egg. Platonic, shall we say. But after arriving home from my run this evening, I decided I needed an extra ingredient for my dinner salad that was not a carb. My eyes lit on the carton of eggs. After feeling ridiculously silly for having to call Mom to check on the cooking time of a hard-boiled egg (gimme a break! I’ve avoided them all my life!!), I popped two in a pot and hoped for the best.

And I have to admit, it wasn’t bad. Even though it broke cardinal rule #2, I didn’t have to force it down. OK, I never actually took a bite of egg alone, instead smothering it with sliced turkey, cheese and greens, but the taste was still quite distinguishable, and not completely revolting.

Hey, I think I’ll even have the second one for lunch tomorrow! Who knows? This may be the start of a beautiful friendship.

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Review: La Pizzella

September 5, 2008 at 3:45 pm (Uncategorized)
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In celebration of an anniversary of sorts, MSO and I tried out a new restaurant the other week: La Pizzella at 2080 St-Mathieu, Montreal. Conveniently located just a few blocks down the street from MSO’s apartment, it was a perfect spot for an impromptu weeknight dinner.

 

As soon as we walked in, I was struck by the coziness and authenticity of the place. The walls were covered in warm red brick and the room lit with coach lanterns, Italian music drifted from the speakers at just the right volume, and middle-aged waiters sporting red bowties strode about purposefully. Cloth tablecloths and napkins were a nice touch.

 

Our meal started with an amuse-bouche on the house – always a good start! The thin‑crust pizza topped with tomato sauce and basil and cut into wedges was simple but satisfying.

 

We ordered a bottle of red (Folonari Merlot-Cabernet Sauvignon) and an appetizer of tomato & bocconcini to share. It was a generous serving, 7 or 8 slices of tomato topped with thick pieces of the creamy cheese. The basil flavour was perfect and not too strong. However, I thought the dish was a little bland overall.

 

For mains, I ordered the tagliatelle carbonara, which was absolutely divine. Perfectly creamy, just salty enough due the right amount of bacon, and a generous but not overly large portion.

 

MSO ordered penne with oyster mushrooms. I would definitely recommend it; it contained a good amount of mushrooms and the pasta was fresh and perfectly al dente, although it was not nearly as flavourful as my meal, which MSO coveted throughout the entire dinner. Lucky for him, I couldn’t finish the last several bites, which he enthusiastically polished off. He then asked me to remind him to order the tagliatelle carbonara next time!

 

Our meal was followed by walnuts in the shell served at our table in a pretty porcelain bowl with a nutcracker. Very odd, I must say… I’ve never seen anything like it before, but strangely satisfying after our pasta. A good combination indeed.

 

Overall, a terrific dining experience. The staff—REAL Italian waiters with thick accents—were extremely attentive and charming, patiently indulging our pathetic attempts at speaking their language (embarrassingly limited to grazie, prego and scusi!). And tucked away in the back corner of the quaint resto: an authentic wood-burning pizza oven… a perfect excuse for a return visit! As if we needed one.

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An Egg-cellent Idea

August 26, 2008 at 10:41 am (Uncategorized)
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A few weeks ago, leading up to my family’s annual get-together weekend, my aunt suggested a clever breakfast idea for Saturday brunch: Omelette in a Bag! While I admit it sounded a little odd at first, it turned out to be a fun, crowd-pleasing alternative to the usual humdrum scrambled eggs-for-a-crowd that we’ve grown accustomed to serving (which quickly end up a cold, goopy mess in a metal pan).

Omelette in a Bag is achieved in just a few simple steps:

1. Dice an assortment of omelette fillings — we used onion, red pepper, tomato, mushrooms, cooked ham and grated cheddar — and place each in a small bowl. Stick a spoon in each bowl and line the bowls up near your omelette station. You can also have seasonings on hand: salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika, etc. Whatever floats your boat.

Ladies chopping...

Ladies chopping...

2. Guests then write their names on medium-size ziploc freezer bags in pen or permanent marker and head for the omelette fillings line, where they scoop their favourite ingredients into their bag, creating their own personalized omelette.
3. At this point, you may want to designate an official egg breaker, someone who will crack two eggs into each person’s bag, as this is a little tricky to do while holding your own bag.
4. Once the eggs have been added to the bag, zip it closed, squeezing out as much air as possible, and start squishing! Mix the eggs and fillings together well.
Squishing our eggs

Squishing our eggs

5. Next, drop the bags into a large pot of boiling water (a stockpot works well), taking care not to overload the pot, as this will slow down cooking time. Boil for 10-12 minutes.

6. Remove the bags with tongs, calling out the names of the lucky eaters to come and claim their designer omelettes. Unzip the bag; the omelette will slide easily onto your plate. Enjoy!

A good time was had by all! This worked well for a crowd (we were 25 people) and would be great on a camping trip — no greasy pan to wash! Which brings me to another point: these eggs are extra-healthy. No need for butter or oil during cooking.

While I concede my family is easily amused, waiting to hear my name be called as the cooked omelettes emerged from the pot was great fun! It was like winning a fabulous door prize, only better, cause it was edible. This is one recipe that is bound to become tradition in my family. I hope yours enjoys it as much as we did — and has as much fun!

Ready for the pot

Left: Eggs, before fillings; right: Ready for the pot

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Fabulous Foreman

August 25, 2008 at 8:36 pm (Uncategorized)
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The other day, I ventured into a place I like to call the appliance graveyard — that kitchen cupboard where rarely used machines that you thought were a great idea at the time, like the juicer and ice cream maker, go to die — and rescued a dusty kitchen tool: the George Foreman grill! I’ve actually had it for a couple of years but only dragged it out again after my mother and sister began raving about how much they love theirs. And I must admit, I’m now hooked!

 

Preheated for just 5 minutes, this thing can grill a chicken breast to perfection in about 8 minutes flat, produce a perfect salmon fillet or porkchop in 6 minutes and a juicy burger in only 5 minutes. Seriously, you have to start your side dishes well ahead of your meat, it’s that fast. And the best part about it? The grease all runs off into the handy grease tray, making your meal not only quick and delicious but healthy too. The fork-like spatula and non-stick surfaces also make clean-up a breeze. It’ll be the best $39.97 you’ve spent in a long time. It also makes awesome panini-style grilled sandwiches… mmmmm, melty cheese! Your culinary imagination is the only limit.

Arriving back from a long bike ride this evening, I was famished. I threw some fresh green beans on to steam and (I confess) cooked up some instant rice (from a can, with sachet of seasoning… by no means gourmet but good in a pinch!). Five minutes later, I slapped my seasoned pork chop (salt & pepper, garlic and oregano, my holy trinity of flavourings) on the heated grill.

In the time it took for my rice and green beans to cook, the pork chop was done (6 minutes!!!) Presto! A healthy dinner, from fridge to table, in under 15 minutes. Take THAT, Rachael Ray!

tzatziki!

Quick, healthy dinner, with the condiment that makes EVERYTHING better: tzatziki!

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Dear (Wine) Diary

August 22, 2008 at 3:17 pm (Uncategorized)
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“We should collect the labels of the wines we like.” That offhand comment by MSO finally prompted me to do something I’ve been meaning to do for years — keep a wine diary. Now, just so we’re perfectly clear, I know very little about wine. I just know what I like (reds, not too fruity) and what I don’t like (whites, sweet wines). Hence, anything that falls into the extremely broad category of “not white, not sweet” is OK with me. That being said, I do know a decent wine from rocket fuel when I taste it; I just lack the oenophile’s vocabulary to describe it (as demonstated in the first photo, under Why We Liked It: “Damn good”!!). And apart from a few trusty standby labels (which I will surely share with you in a future post), I almost invariably forget the name of a much-enjoyed bottle of wine before the coffee is served.

Hence, project Wine Diary. While at Indigo the other day, I picked up a 3-pack of cute notebooks, not exactly sure of what I’d use them for (I have a weakness for stationery, I must confess), but they came in handy sooner than I thought. Cleaning up after our dinner described in my Attempting Risotto post, I was struck by inspiration. I popped the kettle on, steamed the label off a bottle of tasty wine one of our guests had brought, and slapped it in the aforementioned notebook.

 Sagramoso Valpolicella 2005

Riding the wave of my inspiration, I even added my own version of the 5 W’s on the facing page: When (we drank it), Where (we drank it), Who (brought, purchased or recommended it), What (food we paired it with), Why (we liked it).

On a roll, we added a second label just a week later:

Domaine de la Grande Charriere Moulin-A-Vent 2004

Move your mouse over the photos for the names of these wines. If you try one of them, let me know what you think. Now, the trick will be to actually remember the notebook the next time I head to the liquor store!!

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Some “Prime” Ribs

August 21, 2008 at 9:00 am (Uncategorized)
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This past weekend, I did something I’ve never done before: Take a road trip just for the food. MSO, two close friends and I all piled into the car bright and early last Saturday morning to head down to the Adirondacks in NY state. Our destination: Tail O’The Pup, a hokey roadside BBQ joint known far and wide for its smoked ribs (its official address: Halfway between Saranac Lake and Lake Placid on Route 86, Ray Brook, NY — I kid you not!!). Initially, I was a little skeptical, doubting that anything could be worth a 2-hour drive, but boy, was I wrong!

You can't miss this from the highway!

Talk about melt-in-your-mouth, finger-licking goodness! Thick, juicy, saucy…everything you could ask for in a good rack of ribs. And the side dishes were pretty good too. For $12.95, I got the half rack of ribs (5-6 ribs), corn on the cob, corn bread and potato salad (you can choose three sides from a list of many). A pretty good deal, I must say.

And the whole experience was made that much better by the atmosphere. There was a live band — a bunch of 50-something gents, but boy could they rock — the weather was beautiful, the air was warm, and the company great. And we even picked up two jars of the house BBQ sauce for home cookouts!

Rockin' old dudes

After licking our fingers clean and taking a few silly pics of the tacky decor, we carried on our way, tummies full and hearts lighter.

You're my lobster!

For those of you not inclined to make the trek, I also recently discovered another delish rib place in the NDG neighbourhood of Montreal, much closer to home! It’s called Bofinger; try it out and let me know what you think!

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Attempting Risotto

August 20, 2008 at 11:43 am (Uncategorized)
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Risotto is one of those exotic dishes that I’ve always thoroughly enjoyed in a restaurant, but never dreamed of attempting at home, that is, until I met My Significant Other (henceforth known as MSO). After wolfing down a particularly delicious bowl of the creamy goodness at a local Italian resto, he turned to me and asked, “Why don’t we make this at home?”

 

Hmmm…good question. Why don’t we? I couldn’t think of any good reason not to, so a few weeks later, armed with the requisite Arborio rice and a yummy-sounding recipe, we invited a few friends over for dinner and decided to give it a shot.

 

The verdict: Our Gourmet Mushroom Risotto was perfectly scrumptious! Yes, it was a lot of work… MSO stood at the stove patiently stirring the rice for a good 30 minutes straight while I added first the white wine and then the chicken broth in ½-cup increments till completely absorbed. We finished it off with sauteed button and Portobello mushrooms, parmesan cheese and a big chunk of butter and served it alongside steamed asparagus and pan-seared veal with a white wine and mushroom cream sauce. Our guests devoured it and we’re looking forward to trying a new version of this divine dish very soon.

 

We did make a few adjustments, based on user reviews on the web site. We used about half the amount of mushrooms, and a finely chopped medium-sized white onion instead of the shallots (as I can never seem to find shallots). Also, go light on the salt, as the Parmesan cheese is quite salty all on its own.

 

Don’t be intimidated! Give it a try. You’ll be impressed with the results; we certainly were.

 

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A Most Memorable Meal

August 19, 2008 at 6:20 pm (Uncategorized)
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Have you ever had a meal that, on the surface, appeared quite ordinary, but which, by virtue of circumstance, was made quite extraordinary? I was fortunate to have had just such an experience on the Greek island of Santorini a few years ago. To this day, I still remember how delicious the food was… and how it was made even more delectable by the sights, sounds and smells bombarding my senses at the time. While I have since eaten most of the components of this same meal here at home in Montreal, none of them has come close to tasting as wonderful as they did that sunny, balmy afternoon on Santorini. See what I mean:

The wonderfulness, clockwise from upper left: Tzatziki (garlicky yogourt sauce), spanakopita (spinach pie), domatokeftethes (tomato fritters) and the food of the gods, FETA cheese!

While all this (even shared with a friend) could have easily been a meal, it was followed by one of the best verisons of moussaka (baked beef/lamb, eggplant & potato dish) I’ve ever tasted. And, of course, washed down with a glass of local Santorini red!

Yes, the food was exquisite, but I have Greek friends whose mom could handily whip up anything as good or better. However, would it be accompanied by this kind of view:

I didn’t think so! Cheers to that!

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What’s in a name?

August 19, 2008 at 3:12 pm (Uncategorized)
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Welcome to Bacchus & Ceres, my newly created blog about a subject I hold near and dear: food and wine, and cooking and eating.

Allow me to explain my choice of blog titles. After pondering such cheesy options as “The Budding Gourmet” and “Tingling Tastebuds,” I felt a more erudite name was required. Something more distinguished, a tad bit more soignée. Drawing on my appreciation for etymology (as a language specialist) and my fascination with mythology (as a bookworm), I hit on Bacchus & Ceres, respectively the Roman god of wine and the Roman goddess of the harvest (as close as I could get to food!). Given my deep love and affection for all things Greek — the country, language, culture, people and especially the FOOD — I would have preferred to go with the Greek equivalents of these dieties, but I didn’t think Dionysus & Demeter had quite the same ring to it. So, Bacchus & Ceres it is!

My goal in writing this blog is simply to share the simple pleasures in life with those who share my enthusiasm for them. Along the way, I plan to describe new and exciting culinary experiences, kitchen experiments (both good and bad), wine findings, informal restaurant reviews, etc. In short, all things eating & drinking related that I find wonderful, delectable, memorable or lamentable, for one reason or another. I sincerely hope to make it an enjoyable and informative experience for all involved. Thanks for reading!

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