17.7.11

Campagnolo Roma

This evening Andrea took me to the old Italian district of Vancouver along east hastings and victoria for dinner at the newly opened Campagnolo Roma, (where her fabulous boyfriend works).  We were wined and dined and left feeling inspired by the amazing meal we shared.  We started off with some Proscesco and toasted the beginning of a magical story told through food.  We ordered and shortly after we were lost in the twisted forks full of spaghetti and clams and the Biancoverde pizza covered in fresh arugula from a local bio-diverse garden.  In a state of bliss we thought only wise to finish off this lavish, decadent meal with the signature hands down best tiramisu I've ever had!  I was hands down thrilled by the service, food, atmosphere and the invite from Andrea.   If you are asked to go for dinner and are twiddling your thumbs deciding where to go... this is the place!



16.7.11

home grown - Rhubarb Icecream


When someone brings you a bundle of Rhubarb what do you make?  Pie, crumble, compote... ice-cream!  Being an ice-cream fiend I thought this was only logical.  It's fun to see how you can use these common local ingredients in a new fresh way... I may have been inspired by a certain icecream place with a couple interesting flavours.
 The last couple days the weather has been raining down hard but I am still optimistic that summer is here and so with grey cloud lumming over head I made rhubarb ice-cream.   If you have some stalks in your garden and an icecream maker make this and enjoy it inside as you look out on the rain or invite some friends over and have a summer picnic inside.  

In a sauce pan 
6 stalks cut up
1/2 cup sugar/or agave syrup
1tsp vanilla
1tsp lemon juice
1/2 water

let simmer till it gets sweet and the rhubarb gets soft and stringy
set aside and let cool this may be about 2 hrs.  

Mix
the rhubarb compote 
cream
 (I did 1/2 light cream 1/2 skim milk)

machine
Mix it all together and then it all to the ice-cream machine for 20minutes. ENjoy!
(It would also be fun to have some almond crumble to top it with.) 

Hey Frenchy!

With one egg left in the house I made Saturday morning French Toast.  Something I highly recommend when making such a breakfast is using stale bread, for some reason it always makes it taste way better and absorb the egg and milk like a sponge.  So to begin if you have no clue on how to make this I highly suggest you spend more time getting you know your kitchen.  For this is the easiest thing in the world to make.  I'll keep it short and sweat, the images will explain the process.  
In a bowl mix: egg+milk+splash of vanilla+ cinnamon 
(i had a brilliant idea after that some cardamon, ginger and cinnamon would taste brilliant mixed in).  This is your wet mixture.  All you gotta do now is let that bread take a bath in it and then they are ready to go. 



I am in love with berries so give me any excuse and I'll add them to the order. 





Canadian Maple Syrup is the best, none of that Aunt Jemima stuff.. but max would strongly disagree. 

oh you devil you


The other day Maxine and I went over to help Nanny with a couple little things she needed assistance with.  When we stopped for a lunch break  look what she made.  Known for her Devilled eggs I am always happy see them!  It's a very simple thing to do but in my mind I always think they will never be as good, so I wait for a patio lunch with her to have them.

Devilish eggs by Nanny:

dont boil violently... but place half a dozen in boiling water cook for 8-10mins
cool them and once cool then take yolks out sideways.

In a bowl mix:
yolks, salt and pepper
curry powder
miracle whip (traditional flavour)

Spoon the mixture into the egg whites and ta da
* parsley to garnish to make it look all fancy



listen up Buster


The other day my roommate and I were casually talking about how hot it was and I concluded that a Dilly Bar from Dairy Queen would do the trick.... then she told me she had never been to Dairy Queen.  Never experienced a dipped cone, a buster bar, a blizzard.   I became sad with the thought of what kind of childhood she had having had no such treats.  So I thought the only way to fix this would be to introduce her to the place I went when I was little for Dilly Bars with Nanny.   The rest of the day was great hanging with her eating ice cream and hitting the park!




8.7.11


The Pop Cooperative has opened!  Yippee first week was a success can't wait to see what unfolds... its just for a month but it felt like a year of work putting it all together!  


another hats off to what kate ate. I literally drooled over how good this cake looks!  I shall make this next week for a friends birthday because a cake like this should be shared or else people like me will eat the whole thing!