Food Snobbery

I have been trying to find my bearings in this crazy foodie world, and I have to tell you- it's scary!
There are all of these rules, and everyone seems welcoming but I fear that a snobbery lurks close beneath the surface.
I wanted to share stories, recipes, and have fun with other people who love food!
I don't want my pictures to be rejected because they don't look like they came out of a photo shoot for Bon Appetit! I took them in my kitchen! And I had a hungry butcher standing next to me asking me if it's time to eat yet! I can't make an extra one to photograph!
Alright, I am just ranting now, but I find this foodie, blogging world a little intimidating.
I know I am a great cook, and that I have something valuable to share, hopefully I will find the best way to do it!
OK, I feel better now.
*breathing*

Chocolate Chip Goodness

I have been baking for as long as I can remember. My nana was a great baker, and we'd always concoct something together. I loved the feeling of making a treat, not just a meal, but a real surprise for everyone... That feeling is still strong today.

I went up north a couple of weeks ago, and decided that chocolate chip cookies were very necessary for this weekend. I have been perfecting this recipe for years, I think I finally have it down!

What you'll need:

Firstly, heat the oven to 375 degrees.

3/4 cup butter (melted)
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon (or a capful) of vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 package milk chocolate chips

Blend the butter and the sugars until everything runs smoothly
Beat in the eggs and vanilla slowly (make sure the butter isn't too hot)
Blend all the dry ingredients together
Add it (while stirring)to the wet mix
Add the chocolate chips
Mix it all up

Use your hands to make balls a little smaller than a ping pong ball
Place them on a cookie sheet
Once the sheet is full, put it in the oven and cook for about 8-10 mins
Don't cook them until the top is golden brown, remove them from the oven when you see a little gold on the edges of the cookie.



The baking powder makes them rise a little more, which helps keep them moist.
Another trick is, before they get completely cool, place them in a tupperware container and shut it.
My routine is:
Remove from oven
Place cookies on a plate
Put more dough on the cookie sheet
Insert it in oven
Place cooling cookies in tupperware
Shut closed

This keeps them fresh and chewy way longer.

I am a lucky girl...the butcher loves sushi!

So, this New Year's, instead of the big party, the noise, the hats...we went to our favorite sushi restaurant and had our favorite sushis!

Felice Anno Nuovo!

Beautiful Dumplings, stuffed with vegetables

Incredible red rice sushi with lobster, in a delicious avocado and broccoli sauce

This is the sentimental JMDTT (je m'ennui de toi toujours- I miss you always)- a rich combo of tuna, avocado, tempura in a spicy cajun-inspired sauce

A delicate dessert (A Geisha's delight), made of fresh melon dipped in melted chocolate, left to harden on the ice. An exercise in patience is needed to wait to eat them!

I'm baaack!

I got a camera for Christmas! Finally!

 

We've been cooking up a storm since my last post and I have some low-quality pictures of our food that I may or may not post. But for now, I have a new and easy recipe that T brought home last night. The debate here is what to call it, T is of the opinion that we should call it "Italian Nachos" but I think it makes no sense. My version of Italian Nachos would be, crostini, bruschetta, string mozzarella, baked under hi-broil for a couple of minutes and that's it. This dish, however, is pasta. It just doesn't seem "nacho-y" to me...

In any case, I will let you guys be the judge.

 

Italian "Nachos"

2 cups of spelt pasta
1 cup of cubed, cured proscuitto (or pancetta)
1/4 cup rapini (from a jar- soaked in olive oil)
1/4 cup mushrooms (we used the jarred ones in olive oil)
1/2 cup of pitted black olives
2tbsps capers
2tbsps of red pepper spice paste
1/2 a cup chopped fresh mozzarella

Boil a pot of water, and then add the pasta, let simmer until tender
In a semi-deep pan, cook up the proscuitto, rapini, mushrooms, olives, capers and spice paste.
If it looks like you need more liquid in there to prevent burning, use spoonfuls of the water from the pasta.
Once the pasta is ready, strain it and add it to the pan
Stir everything up together
Add the chopped mozzarella, stir it up in the mix and let it melt.

And, then, you're good to go!
This dish is salty so, you don't need to add parmesan to it.

Things we love...

My camera unceremoniously died on us this weekend, so I am picture-less and I think that a recipe without a picture is horrific. So, in lieu of a post, I have decided to in the interim, post some things that we love.
Clearly, as bourgeoning foodies, we love the Food Network and all things food. Anthony Bourdain is right at the top of that list...
Even though we're Canadian, Christmas is around the corner, this Turkey clip will most certainly entertain!
What I would do to go to ONE of the places he's been and, clearly, experience food with him...awesome.

I cannot tell a lie

...ok, maybe I can, but not about this!

We don't always cook, GASP!

I know, disappointing but true, sometimes we eat leftovers, or we order in some sinfully greasy grub and veg on the couch. I must admit that before I started dating T, I would eat crackers some nights. That's all, just crackers. Cooking for one is just not fun, all the mess and no one to share the creation with!

Anyways, I wanted to get this out of the way early on in our blogger/reader relationship. And, since I do love the places we order from, I will give Montreal foodies a head's up about some great places in the city that we love to go to.

One of our current passions is Vietnamese food, we love it. I have always been a fan, it's tasty, not too sinful and quite friendly on the budget! One of my favorite places is Pho Bac on St-Laurent (amongst 15 other "Pho" places on the same block). But, a great place that is closer to home is Huong Que on St Laurent (but further north, between Jean-Talon and Mozart). My favorite dish is Bun with lemongrass beef and noodles. It's amazingly fresh, there is mint and fresh cilantro in it which makes your mouth water at the thought of it. The beef is always hot off the skillet, and the noodles get coated with the lemongrass marinade on the meat. And on the side is a salad which adds this kick of cold, sweet, refreshing flavour to the whole dish.



If ever you're in the neighborhood, or looking for a night out, try this place- it's incredible!

Chicken Cordon Bleu...sort of, but not really.

Since T gets all these amazing ingredients at his work, we often find ourselves with a fridge full of bits and peices by the end of the week. Last night, we had a pretty simple mix of ingredients which I would normally have thrown into a salad and called it a day. But now, I am dating a man who loves to barbeque- so why keep him from what he loves?

We made a chicken breast stuffed with stilton and wrapped in prosciutto, and it was unbearably delicious and easy to make. It was our own take (ok, more of a far deviation) on a traditional chicken cordon bleu, which I have only had once but I still remember it to this day. I was about 16 or 17, in the back yard of my house on Wood Avenue, and I was in love. Traditionally, a chicken cordon bleu is a chicken breast sliced open, with ham and gruyere stuffed in it and then shut either with a toothpick or twine. Then, it's breaded and baked until everything is warm and gooey inside. I have never made it nor anything like it since...until we concocted this last night.

Here we go, please keep in mind that this serves two- you will need to adjust accordingly.

Light BBQ (to get it ready to go)

You will need:
2 chicken breasts
1 cup of Stilton blue cheese (crumbled)
4 slices of prosciutto
4 tsps of fig jam

Butterfly open the chicken breasts (T removed the finger - the little filet that remains when you butterfly- and made us snacks, a very good idea if you're starving as you cook!).
On one side, spread 2tsps of fig jam.
On the other, spread 1/2 cup of Stilton and make sure it's securely on there (which involves a very technical move I call "shmooshing").
Close the breast shut.

Rub the following mixture on the breast (you can make any variation on this, but ultimately, you want something that will moisten not only the chicken but the prosciutto you're about to wrap around the breast).

4tbsps dijon mustard
21/2 tbsps red wine vinegar
Salt, pepper, 1/2 tbsp garlic, and 1 tbsp all-spice.
Whisk together.
Wrap a slice of prosciutto around each side of the chicken breast

Place on indirect heat on the BBQ, leave for 10 minutes and then flip
Let sit for 25-30 mins on indirect heat
The prosciutto will crispen, the cheese will start oozing out and the chicken will be good to go.
If it's still a little pink when you cut it open, place it on tin foil and back on the BBQ until done.

We served it with salad, since it's a pretty heavy meal to begin with, but it can be paired with almost anything! Have fun with it and with your ingredients! You never know what culinary masterpiece awaits you in your pantry!