stand back, i'm going to cook!!!

5:40pm

So I’ve decided, since I’ve had a few beers* and this sounds like a great idea, that I’m going to live-blog tonight's cooking adventure. Nick is working late, so I’m left to my own devices.

Today’s ingredients are:

Puff pastry

Broccoli

Bacon

Leeks

Mozzarella

Basil

I’m going to finish it (whatever it will be) with toasted sesame seeds.

à suivre....

*Amsterdam Blond, if you need to know.

5:54pm

Add to that mushrooms and garlic. 

I'm thinking of roasting everything...

For the prep process, I have switched to white wine, a 2010 Ironstone Obsession Symphony, from California. I'll let you know how that goes.

6:11pm

The wine is crisp, refreshing, with notes of chamomile and vanilla.

The broccoli (one small head), one giant leek, three biggish coffee mushrooms got finely chopped and six cloves of garlic got rough chopped, slathered in canola oil, liberally sprinkled with smoked salt and the whole lot is now resting comfortably in a 400º oven. I figure if I toss it a lot, it won't caramelize too quickly.

6:28pm

Holy schnitzels! I almost forgot bacon!!!

Am pan-frying six slices of bacon to add to roasting veggie mix. Which by the way, if you stir every seven minutes, seems to work quite well.

Also, pouring a second glass of wine.

6:44pm

The trick to roasting veg is to line the pan with foil, so you don't have to do any crazy dish doing after you're done dinner. #themoreyouknow

So, I’ve unrolled the puff pastry, I’ve covered it with a delicate layer of organic vegan pesto, made by dear friends at the Blue Skies Music Festival. I've covered that with the roasted veg, which smell delicious, btw. Then on went the chopped bacon, and slices of mozz cheese, to bake in a 375º for... I don't know... shoot. What time was it when I put it in? Dammit. I have to go look in on this torte now....

7:10pm

It’s done to perfection! The cheese is wonderfully golden, all the flavours meld gorgeously together, and the wine is a beautiful high note to the meal. 

Cheers to a fabulous meal!!

raspberry heaven float

The other night, as I was cutting through the Market at the end of the business day, I noticed, to my delight, that one of the farmers was selling off the day’s leftover raspberries for only one dollar. Having a weakness for raspberries, I of course bought a package, thinking it would be for dessert.

As I walked home, my mind flashed to summer afternoons on the Ile d'Orléans, just outside Quebec City, where, as a little girl, I would gobble up pints of raspberries with brown sugar and heavy cream.

Thought of all the desserts I could create with my newly found beauties. My initial thought for was raspberries with cream and brown sugar, a treat I used to have when I was a little girl summering on the Ile d’Orléans outside of Quebec City. My evil plan quickly came to a halt when we had neither cream, nor milk.

So, plan B slowly developed, in stages….

First I muddled raspberries in a glass, with a bit of brown sugar. Then I poured in about 2 oz of vodka, and filled the rest of the glass with club soda. The result was quite pulpy, but the colours were beautiful, the deep red of the fruit staining the clear liquid a delicate pink. It settled strangely, with the pulp on the top and bottom but leaving a middle section of drink that was clear.  I strategically placed my straw and started drinking happily.

After a few sips, however, I was starting to be overwhelmed by the pulp and seeds. Back to the kitchen I went, grabbing the mesh strainer as I danced with glee. I pressed the pulp really well through and added ice cubes and more brown sugar. I felt that I almost had it, but it lacked the creaminess required to mimic my favourite childhood desert. I continued drinking and pondering.

And then it dawned on me. ‘Oh my god’, I exclaimed, startling the cat from her slumber. ‘We have vanilla ice cream!!’ so out came the ice cubes, and in went two scoops of vanilla ice cream (the really good stuff, where you can see the flecks of black vanilla bean). I topped it off with a bit more vodka and soda and sprinkled it with more brown sugar. Finally, it was almost perfect.

Next time, I’m rimming the glass with raspberry juice and brown sugar.

Bon appetit!

Bonjour mes amis!

I often sit around talking about food, thinking about food, dreaming about food, and most importantly, creating and eating food.  I love every aspect of it, from planning menus to assembling late night drunken creations.

My partner boyfriend also has a food blog and lately, every time I create something delicious, I want to share it with the world and ask him to please please please put it on his blog, to which he replies that I, too, could create a blog. So here I am, finally getting on board this whole blog thing to share with you these wonderful things that i've made.

This is my little contribution to the world of food on the internet. I hope you enjoy reading it and I hope you try some of the recipes; they really are tasty :)