I always knew that I didn't plan on giving up on my favourite indulgences. I am inspired by a former pastry chef turned Weight Watchers Leader who believes in having your cake and eating it too. His favourites are chocolate mousse, shrimp scampi with butter, heavy cream and Parmesan, and cheesecake.
When I discussed my weekend celebrating the Grand Cru Culinary Wine Festival at one of the host's homes, my fellow Weight Watchers buddies said just go for it and enjoy it. That's what I did. It was a wonderful experience worthy of the term "favourite indulgences". For me, it isn't necessarily one particular food but rather fine foods done beautifully and creatively. Wine with food is another indulgence I try not to do on a regular basis although I enjoy it immensely... but this was a very special occasion.
We were welcomed to Steven and Lynda Latner's home, our gracious hosts for the evening. We were fortunate to have Laurence Feraud represent her estate wine in France, Domaine du Pegau who paired the wines with Chef Robert Gentile from Buca so beautifully. You can tell by my superlatives I am not only a gourmet and gourmat but a foodie. When we arrived we were greeted with champagne and
Lynda suggested I go into the other room for a lovely surprise. There was a chef hand carving leg of boar. It was the ultimate prosciutto. I could see the chefs working diligently from where I stood looking into the kitchen. One by one, there came a plethora of fine tastings. I didn't have them all but limited myself to two: the crostini with Erborinato cheese and apple mostarda which is basically a sweetly sauteed apple with a mustard between that and the cheese; and, the crisp eggplant with Italian Burrata and White Truffle from Molise. I enjoyed every morsel.
I learned that Chef Gentile began as chef de partie at one of the top rated restaurants in the country, North 44. In the 10 years since, Gentile has worked every station and position in McEwan's kitchens.
He had worked his way up to executive sous-chef. Eventually, Buca opened in September 2009 to rave reviews and has been ranked as one of the top restaurants in Toronto. Here he showcases and cooks the Italian fare with which he was raised. I was there once, soon after it opened, during the film festival as a guest of Alan Karp who was then CEO of Cineplex Odeon. There were 14 or 16 of us and my host had arranged that small courses keep coming. It was not the complex dinner of last night but pizza where you were handed a scissors to cut it, and more simplistic and rustic Italian fare. It was delicious.
Back to the dinner now. We were invited into one of two dining areas with about 14-16 people at each table. The chef and the vintner and the scientist, Dr. Shaf Keshavjee visited between the two rooms.
The recipient of the funds raised went to Toronto General and Western Hospital Foundation so we therefore had the pleasure of Dr. Keshavjee, surgeon-in-chief, University Health Network. He was fascinating. As Herbie Fund founder and president, I was gratified to know that as a thoracic surgeon he had also worked on Herbie children at SickKids. His specialty is lung transplants but his current work involves ways to grow and engineer better organs from a person's own stem cells. He is a genius.
I still haven't discussed the dinner yet. Of course, each course had a wine paired with it. I am not a red wine drinker but I definitely liked Cuvee Reservee Red 2007 best. It was oaky and I like that a lot. The food was enchanting. The first course was a salad of chicory with pesto, topped with crisp smelts and organic quail egg yolk. Then came the hand carved venison, thinly sliced like prosciutto on top of a chick pea pancake and surrounded by the chef's house made sheep's milk cheese that was sprinkled with pistachio nuts. At first, I wasn't sure about this course, but once I paired it with the Cuvee Reservee Red 2007, I was sold on it. What a perfect pair they made. After that was the pasta course, being that the chef is Italian. It was goose foie gras and porcini mushrooms inside tortelli pasta and topped with sweet butter and toasted hazelnuts. My mouth is still watering when I think about it.
It was almost 11 p.m. when we left to go home and let the dog out. I missed the next two courses of rack of elk and dessert that would be difficult for me to translate without at first tasting it. That was okay. I had drank at least 4 glasses of wine and really had eaten enough too. I was pleased to know I hadn't gained weight from it either when I awoke on Sunday morning. That dinner was definitely one of my favourite indulgences.
Sunday, 30 October 2011
Friday, 28 October 2011
PANICSVILLE
It really isn't easy when you love to party. When I was a teenager I used to say I get an "A" for party and "party" was my middle name. That will never change. It is now Friday and weigh-in is tomorrow. I know I have been down the path of the devil and am desperately trying to make amends tonight although we have my brother-in-law and sister-in-law for dinner for my sister-in-law's birthday. It has to have a little festivity and I will try to circumvent the evil, rich and bad stuff. My husband, Paul, just asked what was for dinner tonight. When I told him, he says he can always tell Friday night dinner now for the last three months because it is lighter fare. My eyebrows lifted and I thought I wasn't that transparent.
The date was only confirmed two days ago but I have rewritten the menu 3 times like I always do. The first is based on recipes I find. The second is rejigging to what I have and the third is the food that inspires me when I go to market as they say in the U.S.A. My bro-in-law always enjoys a glass of Santa Marguerita Pinot Grigio with his meal and I think it is rude to let your guests to drink alone. It is different if you are one of 10 guests somewhere else and then it isn't as noticeable. The only problem with that is by dessert you are so loose and happy it is like feeding candy to a baby. You can't count the drinks anymore so it stands to reason the points and calories in the dessert slip away too.
Last Tuesday, we were invited to a friend's house for dinner. He is Italian and his best dish is osso bucco that he proudly cooks himself. But there is the cocktail hour that precedes it and after 15 minutes of watching the champagne flow and knowing that you don't have to drive, the willpower weakens and you want to be with the rest of the gang... that is, except Paul, who can take it or leave it, doesn't drink much anyway, and knows he is driving. It would be wrong to use him as an excuse for my lack of willpower though.
I haven't got a clue what I drank. Although Rick cooked, he didn't serve. He had waitstaff that kept filling up the champagne and then the white wine at the table and then I didn't even notice when we switched to the red wine or even if I drank the sambucca at the end. I do know, I whittled away at the delicious tiramisu he had purchased from Pusateri's. I have been trying to lose the weight I gained all week since then.
Now there is tonight's dinner. I set a beautiful table. The soup is cabbage/carrot and the main course is slow-cooked chicken with fennel and lemon on rice. Maybe that was what Paul was thinking about when he thought low-calorie because it is. The shrimp cocktail and, if I am judicious with, the Caprese salad would also be passable. I just have to watch the drinking or I will be into the desserts: Frozen lemon drop delizia with raspberries (the least of all evils); blondies and lemon squares (bad, bad, bad) and the piece de resistance is the Dufflet Hazelnut birthday cake (from bad to worse).
I am in Panicsville. I may just have to suck up a weight gain tomorrow.
The date was only confirmed two days ago but I have rewritten the menu 3 times like I always do. The first is based on recipes I find. The second is rejigging to what I have and the third is the food that inspires me when I go to market as they say in the U.S.A. My bro-in-law always enjoys a glass of Santa Marguerita Pinot Grigio with his meal and I think it is rude to let your guests to drink alone. It is different if you are one of 10 guests somewhere else and then it isn't as noticeable. The only problem with that is by dessert you are so loose and happy it is like feeding candy to a baby. You can't count the drinks anymore so it stands to reason the points and calories in the dessert slip away too.
Last Tuesday, we were invited to a friend's house for dinner. He is Italian and his best dish is osso bucco that he proudly cooks himself. But there is the cocktail hour that precedes it and after 15 minutes of watching the champagne flow and knowing that you don't have to drive, the willpower weakens and you want to be with the rest of the gang... that is, except Paul, who can take it or leave it, doesn't drink much anyway, and knows he is driving. It would be wrong to use him as an excuse for my lack of willpower though.
I haven't got a clue what I drank. Although Rick cooked, he didn't serve. He had waitstaff that kept filling up the champagne and then the white wine at the table and then I didn't even notice when we switched to the red wine or even if I drank the sambucca at the end. I do know, I whittled away at the delicious tiramisu he had purchased from Pusateri's. I have been trying to lose the weight I gained all week since then.
Now there is tonight's dinner. I set a beautiful table. The soup is cabbage/carrot and the main course is slow-cooked chicken with fennel and lemon on rice. Maybe that was what Paul was thinking about when he thought low-calorie because it is. The shrimp cocktail and, if I am judicious with, the Caprese salad would also be passable. I just have to watch the drinking or I will be into the desserts: Frozen lemon drop delizia with raspberries (the least of all evils); blondies and lemon squares (bad, bad, bad) and the piece de resistance is the Dufflet Hazelnut birthday cake (from bad to worse).
I am in Panicsville. I may just have to suck up a weight gain tomorrow.
Sunday, 23 October 2011
Kudos to the Donors
Well to start with, I am encouraged to know at weigh in yesterday, I was down more than 15 pounds.
That is a good thing. It allowed me to do the Walk for the Children at the Toronto Zoo today for Herbie Fund without pain and suffering. This is something I could not have done three months ago.
My week was interspersed with lunches, evening meetings, Oceana Ball and Walk for the Children.
All events offer challenges in food consumption. Fortunately, Weight Watchers Point Plus program allows for a variety of situations and my kind of lifestyle. I go from fine dining to catch as catch can and sometimes in the same day.
My kudos today go to all who donated food to Walk for the Children, not only for their generosity but for the possibilities of staying on track. Of course, Jennifer, Alana our chairs and Wilna, our food chair deserve credit too for seeking the balance. I couldn't say who would win first prize but Pat Finelli from Pizza Pizza was right up there. I enjoyed a slice of hot, fresh and delicious cheese pizza given out in a box that fit the slice. Then there were the Pop Chips. What a great idea and kosher as well. It is amazing what can be done with potatoes and the flavouring choices there are. The chips were neither fried nor baked. They were popped. The calorie count was 50 for the entire bag and amounted to 1 point in the Points Plus program. Van Houtte supplied delicious coffee. It was hot and flavourful. Gambols kindly donated fruit, apples, bananas and oranges. Everybody eats that standard fare of fruit. I didn't eat the hamburgers but my husband Paul devoured his in no time flat. The ice cream cleared out quite fast as well. Kudos too, to Redpath Sugar for coming forward with Acts of Sweetness and supplying us with packages containing two sugar cookies. The artwork of Duchess of Dough creating individually wrapped iced penguin cookies made especially for us was so beautifully presented. I am still appreciating the beauty of it and will share with my grandchildren.
Thanks to all who participated in making this event successful and in this case, making good eats of the food. On a personal level, I am still on track today. In the bigger picture, these donors all helped make Walk for the Children and the picnic after an excellent event. And Herbie Fund raised a lot of money too enabling children from around the world to have life-saving or life-altering surgery that could not be done in their own country.
That is a good thing. It allowed me to do the Walk for the Children at the Toronto Zoo today for Herbie Fund without pain and suffering. This is something I could not have done three months ago.
My week was interspersed with lunches, evening meetings, Oceana Ball and Walk for the Children.
All events offer challenges in food consumption. Fortunately, Weight Watchers Point Plus program allows for a variety of situations and my kind of lifestyle. I go from fine dining to catch as catch can and sometimes in the same day.
My kudos today go to all who donated food to Walk for the Children, not only for their generosity but for the possibilities of staying on track. Of course, Jennifer, Alana our chairs and Wilna, our food chair deserve credit too for seeking the balance. I couldn't say who would win first prize but Pat Finelli from Pizza Pizza was right up there. I enjoyed a slice of hot, fresh and delicious cheese pizza given out in a box that fit the slice. Then there were the Pop Chips. What a great idea and kosher as well. It is amazing what can be done with potatoes and the flavouring choices there are. The chips were neither fried nor baked. They were popped. The calorie count was 50 for the entire bag and amounted to 1 point in the Points Plus program. Van Houtte supplied delicious coffee. It was hot and flavourful. Gambols kindly donated fruit, apples, bananas and oranges. Everybody eats that standard fare of fruit. I didn't eat the hamburgers but my husband Paul devoured his in no time flat. The ice cream cleared out quite fast as well. Kudos too, to Redpath Sugar for coming forward with Acts of Sweetness and supplying us with packages containing two sugar cookies. The artwork of Duchess of Dough creating individually wrapped iced penguin cookies made especially for us was so beautifully presented. I am still appreciating the beauty of it and will share with my grandchildren.
Thanks to all who participated in making this event successful and in this case, making good eats of the food. On a personal level, I am still on track today. In the bigger picture, these donors all helped make Walk for the Children and the picnic after an excellent event. And Herbie Fund raised a lot of money too enabling children from around the world to have life-saving or life-altering surgery that could not be done in their own country.
Monday, 17 October 2011
The Good, the Bad and the Tasteless
Weekends are tough especially when you have 3 events in 2 days. Unless you are a saint, there are always trip-ups. There is the good, the bad and the tasteless. I have had them all. On Sunday we went to the horse races at Woodbine and were fortunate enough to be invited to the Northern Dancer room where the buffet is second to none and is worthy of two trips where most aren't. Even eating one floor below where there is a fine dining room doesn't compare to this. Some people don't care about presentation but I do. I am a firm believer in first you eat with your eyes. The presentation was beautiful, all different levels with ice sculptures with sliced lemons inside. Even the simplest of foods like a tomato and bocconcini salad was done with great aplomb. The mini cherry tomatoes were peeled to begin with, a labour intensive job that is certainly most welcome. There was such care put into the artichoke salad and although I didn't eat everything that was served because of the enormity of choices I was still in awe of it all. The potatoes in the hot section were laid out in rows inside the chafing dish and each one looked like a sea anemone with a thousand fronds. That was the best meal of the three events.
Then last night I was invited to a friend's birthday. I won't mention the friend or the restaurant. It was a boring evening with mediocre food. Only red wine was offered. I didn't partake because I was driving and yet I might have had a glass of white wine with the meal had it been offered. My take on this small, dingy, dark, Italian place was they were not used to serving more than a couple of people at at time. There were probably 16-20 people in this party and definitely not a good mix because after all, interesting people help make the evening. Everything about it seemed lacking in preparation. Even the hostess and her family arrived late. The food was even later. I believe there was a chef/server in the house and one other person. To serve that many, some of the food must has to have been prepared ahead of time and stuck in the fridge. My Caesar salad was limp and wet. My main course didn't taste home made. It was a chestnut ravioli that looked machine made and wasn't very tasty. The birthday girl ordered Osso Bucco. Now anyone who knows Osso Bucco knows it is a two day labour of love. Granted she was served last by about 5 or 10 minutes, but let's face it, it must have needed thawing but it definitely wasn't made today. If I had a small restaurant and had 20 people for dinner, I wouldn't have people ordering from a two page menu jam-packed with stuff. I would have picked a first course and had a couple of choices for the main. I would have preferred simple and fresh. I was finally about to leave when I was asked to stay for a few minutes for the presentation of the birthday cake which I did out of politeness.
We are back on Monday again. I have to rid my body of all the bad deeds of the weekend. My plan is to keep it simple. I had my delicious homemade carrot soup for lunch, a meal worthy of my eating.
Then last night I was invited to a friend's birthday. I won't mention the friend or the restaurant. It was a boring evening with mediocre food. Only red wine was offered. I didn't partake because I was driving and yet I might have had a glass of white wine with the meal had it been offered. My take on this small, dingy, dark, Italian place was they were not used to serving more than a couple of people at at time. There were probably 16-20 people in this party and definitely not a good mix because after all, interesting people help make the evening. Everything about it seemed lacking in preparation. Even the hostess and her family arrived late. The food was even later. I believe there was a chef/server in the house and one other person. To serve that many, some of the food must has to have been prepared ahead of time and stuck in the fridge. My Caesar salad was limp and wet. My main course didn't taste home made. It was a chestnut ravioli that looked machine made and wasn't very tasty. The birthday girl ordered Osso Bucco. Now anyone who knows Osso Bucco knows it is a two day labour of love. Granted she was served last by about 5 or 10 minutes, but let's face it, it must have needed thawing but it definitely wasn't made today. If I had a small restaurant and had 20 people for dinner, I wouldn't have people ordering from a two page menu jam-packed with stuff. I would have picked a first course and had a couple of choices for the main. I would have preferred simple and fresh. I was finally about to leave when I was asked to stay for a few minutes for the presentation of the birthday cake which I did out of politeness.
We are back on Monday again. I have to rid my body of all the bad deeds of the weekend. My plan is to keep it simple. I had my delicious homemade carrot soup for lunch, a meal worthy of my eating.
Sunday, 16 October 2011
THE ART OF FOOD
Food is in integral part of life and since I have been writing about my food exploits, it seems to be all around us. To begin my day on Saturday, I weighed in at Weight Watchers. To my dismay the amount lost in the last month is negligible and I have to analyze why. I start off well in the week, slaying the dragons that appear before me. Then by hump day (Wednesday) I guess I am feeling fairly proud of my weight loss achievements and let up Thursday and Friday. That could be part of it. Not eating enough breakfast could be another reason. Planning ahead as best I can is a solution as well as upping my exercise routine. Since the beginning of September I have worked out at least two hours less a week because of holiday weekends, colds and the fact that my Pilates instructor had to cut me back a half hour to accommodate a client who had returned from summer vacation.
So, that is the analysis and now the review of the day. After my weigh in, I went to The Second Cup for my coffee and after reviewing the display cases opted for a toasted egg, swiss and turkey English muffin to help curb cravings later in the day. What disturbed me was outside the store when a little boy selling apples for the Boy Scouts was practically bowled over by a man on a mission who practically walked through him. The boy was caught mid-fall and one of his apples tumbled out of the basket onto the sidewalk. The man bent down with a smile, picked up the apple and replaced it in the little boy's basket. My immediate reaction was to tell the man he knocked the apple out of the of little boy's basket and he should pay for it. The man said "Do you think so?" I said "I do" and embarassed him into buying it. Not only was it a thoughtless injustice to the little boy but I thought about the apple on the pavement that someone else might buy that would be dirty. I bought an apple from the boys selling them and took it with me to the hairdresser. I took a few bites but lost my appetite.
Later that evening I went to the Chagall Ball at the AGO. It was an elegant event with great ambience and interesting people but the most memorable parts of the evening are the few incidents of no fault of the event committee. I waited for a long time at the bar to get a glass of wine. I seemed to be glossed over several times. Finally, I was second in line and the man beside me ordered a white wine, to which I piped up to make that two please. I walked away with my wine and winced and pulled back from the smell of the glass that was similar to wet rags. Upon tasting the wine, it was corked. It is easy to tell that and you don't have to be a wine expert. It just tastes like a mouldy cork and is undrinkable. I sought out the man who had stood beside me to be sure it wasn't just a well-defined palate of mine. The man agreed and we both returned the wine. I asked for a new one and was not received well. I explained it was corked... like in bad and that the wine from that bottle should cease to be served. The wine server didn't care and I saw him serve someone else from the same bottle. He was very rude to me as I stood my ground waiting for a new bottle to open. He poured a tiny amount in a fresh glass as I requested and it was fine but that was about all I was going to get until another gentleman beside me asked the wine server to please look after me before him.
I had planned ahead for my consumption of the evening's event, allowing for wine but no bread, hors d'oeuvres or dessert and was thinking salad and main course. The creative genius of the chef decided on a tiny portion of gruyere pot of creme and pickled carrots to start. The portions weren't even the size of 1/4 cup each and it was getting late and I was thankful to have it. The second course was smoked sturgeon topped with smoked salmon on a buckwheat blini. The buckwheat blini wasn't worth eating. It was cold and damp and not very tasty so I ate what was on top. The main course was presented beautifully. It was a beef tournado on some kind of starch but was so salty it was inedible.
I didn't get home until 11:30 and the dessert was just being served when I left. The evening's entertainment had not begun yet. It was such a shame. Couple by couple our table cleared.
The evening wasn't bad in itself. The decor was wonderful. Norman Jewison speaking of his acquisition of the Chagall painting he had lent the AGO was a wonderful story. He is a great story-teller. The people at my table were very interesting. And for me the piece de resistance was the loot bag. It contained a pad of cold pressed Strathmore Watercolour Paper and was accompanied by Derwent Watercolour pencils. What could be a better gift for an artist like me?
So, that is the analysis and now the review of the day. After my weigh in, I went to The Second Cup for my coffee and after reviewing the display cases opted for a toasted egg, swiss and turkey English muffin to help curb cravings later in the day. What disturbed me was outside the store when a little boy selling apples for the Boy Scouts was practically bowled over by a man on a mission who practically walked through him. The boy was caught mid-fall and one of his apples tumbled out of the basket onto the sidewalk. The man bent down with a smile, picked up the apple and replaced it in the little boy's basket. My immediate reaction was to tell the man he knocked the apple out of the of little boy's basket and he should pay for it. The man said "Do you think so?" I said "I do" and embarassed him into buying it. Not only was it a thoughtless injustice to the little boy but I thought about the apple on the pavement that someone else might buy that would be dirty. I bought an apple from the boys selling them and took it with me to the hairdresser. I took a few bites but lost my appetite.
Later that evening I went to the Chagall Ball at the AGO. It was an elegant event with great ambience and interesting people but the most memorable parts of the evening are the few incidents of no fault of the event committee. I waited for a long time at the bar to get a glass of wine. I seemed to be glossed over several times. Finally, I was second in line and the man beside me ordered a white wine, to which I piped up to make that two please. I walked away with my wine and winced and pulled back from the smell of the glass that was similar to wet rags. Upon tasting the wine, it was corked. It is easy to tell that and you don't have to be a wine expert. It just tastes like a mouldy cork and is undrinkable. I sought out the man who had stood beside me to be sure it wasn't just a well-defined palate of mine. The man agreed and we both returned the wine. I asked for a new one and was not received well. I explained it was corked... like in bad and that the wine from that bottle should cease to be served. The wine server didn't care and I saw him serve someone else from the same bottle. He was very rude to me as I stood my ground waiting for a new bottle to open. He poured a tiny amount in a fresh glass as I requested and it was fine but that was about all I was going to get until another gentleman beside me asked the wine server to please look after me before him.
I had planned ahead for my consumption of the evening's event, allowing for wine but no bread, hors d'oeuvres or dessert and was thinking salad and main course. The creative genius of the chef decided on a tiny portion of gruyere pot of creme and pickled carrots to start. The portions weren't even the size of 1/4 cup each and it was getting late and I was thankful to have it. The second course was smoked sturgeon topped with smoked salmon on a buckwheat blini. The buckwheat blini wasn't worth eating. It was cold and damp and not very tasty so I ate what was on top. The main course was presented beautifully. It was a beef tournado on some kind of starch but was so salty it was inedible.
I didn't get home until 11:30 and the dessert was just being served when I left. The evening's entertainment had not begun yet. It was such a shame. Couple by couple our table cleared.
The evening wasn't bad in itself. The decor was wonderful. Norman Jewison speaking of his acquisition of the Chagall painting he had lent the AGO was a wonderful story. He is a great story-teller. The people at my table were very interesting. And for me the piece de resistance was the loot bag. It contained a pad of cold pressed Strathmore Watercolour Paper and was accompanied by Derwent Watercolour pencils. What could be a better gift for an artist like me?
Friday, 14 October 2011
POLISH AND PIZAZZ
It is a dreary October day. I had gone out earlier and bought myself a set of new knives and Laura Calder's new book Dinner Chez Moir, the fine art of feeding friends. I have often watched her on TV and in the true sense of French cooking, the foods are simple and the quality is superb. It was from her that I learnt that the French admire the hostess who shops well as much as the hostess that cooks well and let's face it, if you were to cook everything from scratch every single day that could be your life's work. It seems my mother was always in the kitchen. I may be too, but not always cooking.
I had no idea at that time that I would be cooking in the afternoon, something that wasn't quick and speedy. Dinner however, is the time that I more or less go all out because I am not just cooking for myself and perhaps it is the time to sit and relax and enjoy a good meal whether it is out or at home.
I know that there are many who say you should eat like a king or queen for breakfast, some lesser title for lunch and a pauper for dinner but I wasn't brought up that way and lifestyle isn't really going to change that much.
I have to watch my weight, as everyone who knows me is well aware. Dinner was going to be very simple tonight: Chicken breasts with the bone in but without the skin, broccoli and some kind of starch and earlier in the day I hadn't decided whether it was going to be yellow potatoes, sweet potato fries or butternut squash, all of which were readily available in my fridge. Then I ended up cooking Carrot Soup. I guess I was inspired by Laura Calder who never believes in a 20 course meal but says an entree, main course and dessert is all that is necessary.
I still had tons of carrots in the fridge, along with onions, fresh garlic and a bay leaf and chicken stock, primarily what is needed to make her carrot soup. As simple as it sounds, a sous chef would have come in handy to slice, grate or crush. I have made it now. It is delicious and will serve as the entree. The main course will still be the chicken breasts and boiled broccoli. Dessert will be a mixture of fresh strawberries and raspberries finished off with a touch of maple syrup. You can be on a diet without being totally dull or ordinary. It just takes a little work.
Carrots at this time of year are very sweet and easily to come by freshly picked. Carrot soup is fantastic when you start off with tasty carrots. I used her basic recipe but added more stock since her two cups didn't exactly cover the vegetables.
LAURA'S CARROT SOUP
2-3 tbsp. butter
2 medium onions thinly sliced
1 1/2 pounds grated or chopped carrots
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 bay leaf
Chicken stock to cover the vegetables
Salt and pepper
a few spoonfuls of sour cream
paprika
A handful of fresh coriander leaves (cilantro)
Melt the butter in a large pot and gently saute the onions until soft. I used Le Crueset to be perfectly French. Add the carrots, garlic, bay leaf, and the stock. It should be enough to just cover the vegetables. Season with salt and pepper, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until the carrots are very soft, about 15 minutes.
Cool slightly, then discard the bay leaf. I pureed it with my immersion blender, something Emeril used to refer to as his boat motor. It calls for straining but I sort of like a more rustic soup. I will serve it garnished with a spoonful of sour cream, a sprinkle of paprika and a bit of chopped coriander or cilantro.
Now for the chicken. I always hesitate to give out a recipe I haven't fully tested but I can tell you generally. I have marinated it in lemon, lime and orange juice, finely grating the coloured part of the rind with a micro plane. I added some soy sauce. It sat like that in the marinade about 20 minutes while I pre-heated the oven to 425 degrees. I put them in the oven for 30 minutes breast side down. After that I flipped them over and drizzled the breasts with sesame oil, honey and black and white sesame seeds and put them back in the oven for another 25 minutes.
Laura believes "it's a chance every day to pull ourselves out of the mundane and give our lives a little polish and pizazz." I agree with her. A little pizazz is worth doing.
I had no idea at that time that I would be cooking in the afternoon, something that wasn't quick and speedy. Dinner however, is the time that I more or less go all out because I am not just cooking for myself and perhaps it is the time to sit and relax and enjoy a good meal whether it is out or at home.
I know that there are many who say you should eat like a king or queen for breakfast, some lesser title for lunch and a pauper for dinner but I wasn't brought up that way and lifestyle isn't really going to change that much.
I have to watch my weight, as everyone who knows me is well aware. Dinner was going to be very simple tonight: Chicken breasts with the bone in but without the skin, broccoli and some kind of starch and earlier in the day I hadn't decided whether it was going to be yellow potatoes, sweet potato fries or butternut squash, all of which were readily available in my fridge. Then I ended up cooking Carrot Soup. I guess I was inspired by Laura Calder who never believes in a 20 course meal but says an entree, main course and dessert is all that is necessary.
I still had tons of carrots in the fridge, along with onions, fresh garlic and a bay leaf and chicken stock, primarily what is needed to make her carrot soup. As simple as it sounds, a sous chef would have come in handy to slice, grate or crush. I have made it now. It is delicious and will serve as the entree. The main course will still be the chicken breasts and boiled broccoli. Dessert will be a mixture of fresh strawberries and raspberries finished off with a touch of maple syrup. You can be on a diet without being totally dull or ordinary. It just takes a little work.
Carrots at this time of year are very sweet and easily to come by freshly picked. Carrot soup is fantastic when you start off with tasty carrots. I used her basic recipe but added more stock since her two cups didn't exactly cover the vegetables.
LAURA'S CARROT SOUP
2-3 tbsp. butter
2 medium onions thinly sliced
1 1/2 pounds grated or chopped carrots
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 bay leaf
Chicken stock to cover the vegetables
Salt and pepper
a few spoonfuls of sour cream
paprika
A handful of fresh coriander leaves (cilantro)
Melt the butter in a large pot and gently saute the onions until soft. I used Le Crueset to be perfectly French. Add the carrots, garlic, bay leaf, and the stock. It should be enough to just cover the vegetables. Season with salt and pepper, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until the carrots are very soft, about 15 minutes.
Cool slightly, then discard the bay leaf. I pureed it with my immersion blender, something Emeril used to refer to as his boat motor. It calls for straining but I sort of like a more rustic soup. I will serve it garnished with a spoonful of sour cream, a sprinkle of paprika and a bit of chopped coriander or cilantro.
Now for the chicken. I always hesitate to give out a recipe I haven't fully tested but I can tell you generally. I have marinated it in lemon, lime and orange juice, finely grating the coloured part of the rind with a micro plane. I added some soy sauce. It sat like that in the marinade about 20 minutes while I pre-heated the oven to 425 degrees. I put them in the oven for 30 minutes breast side down. After that I flipped them over and drizzled the breasts with sesame oil, honey and black and white sesame seeds and put them back in the oven for another 25 minutes.
Laura believes "it's a chance every day to pull ourselves out of the mundane and give our lives a little polish and pizazz." I agree with her. A little pizazz is worth doing.
Thursday, 13 October 2011
SIDEWAYS
We all have those days when things don't go as expected and there is no Plan B in the works. Such was my last day or so. In retrospect, although I was going to say it started off with a bad hair day, I can actually say the day before wasn't great. I had my hair done and it looked wonderful and curly but I couldn't find my car keys when I left the hair establishment. I went mad retracing my footsteps and going through my purse at least twice thoroughly. I was well aware that it is impossibility to lock the keys in my car as my car just won't allow for that. Finally, I went to the car to find out I had left my car keys and my house keys in the cup holder and hadn't locked the car. Someone could have had a great win there but I was fortunate they didn't.
The next morning was the bad hair day, unusual for me who often walks into the salon and receives comments like I had just had my hair done. But yesterday it was poker straight. The weather was inclement and it was hot in the house. I will blame that combination of things. When a girl has a bad hair day everything goes sideways.
By evening, the rain was heavy. I had a meeting at the RCYC (The Royal Canadian Yacht Club) but the land offices and not on the island. It was dark but the glass doors were well lit, or should I say glass door. The other beside it was a window that looked like an open door and I went smack dab, nose forward into it. Tears welled up and the lady inside showed great concern. I can't believe I am the only one to do that. When I left I examined the window beside the door and still thought it looked like nothing was there ... except for my telltale nose print. I was more astute on the way out and thought my sideways was going straight but not so. I opened my umbrella and heard an explosion. The first words out of my mouth were "What was that?" Little needle like objects were flying everywhere. It was the mechanism in this expensive automatic umbrella that had gone awry. I managed to hold the limp fabric of the umbrella over my head now like a large hat until I arrived at my car all the while it rattled like a bucket of bolts.
All I could think of was food, drink and the comforts of home. Only my pets were there. I made myself a nice sandwich of pepperoni and lactose free light cheese. I had a few peppercinos on the side. It was delicious and I didn't want to drink coffee or water and remembered the remainder of the bottle of white wine in the fridge. I polished that off in several shots in a little glass that would fit into the dishwasher so I wouldn't have to hand wash it. It was lovely. My dessert was 3 humungous Campfire marshmallows. I proceeded then to smoky almonds and dark chocolate bark, all leftover from Thanksgiving or even Rosh Hashana. I finished my pig out, watched TV and my husband finally came home from his meeting and I went to bed.
I woke up in the morning and blew the blood from my nose from last night's misdoings. I weighed myself and noted I had gained almost a pound from my late night eating and drinking. I made myself my latte, took a few sips and as usual I am up and down in the morning collecting my things or feeding the cats before going out. By the time I returned to the latte, a ladybug had flown into it and drowned. Will this sideways direction ever end, I wondered, except someone told me later that ladybugs are good luck.
As the day went on, things got better, thank goodness. Maybe ladybugs are good luck. Maybe that is the end to this comedy of errors. I read the morning paper about how all the things that are now bad for you. Multivitamins can kill you, Vitamin E can cause prostate cancer, apples can rot your teeth and juice is worse and fish can bring on early menopause. All of a sudden, a bright light was illuminated. I don't take multivitamins or Vitamin E, I don't drink fruit juice and I don't eat fish. Maybe all the crap I ate wasn't so bad after all. Nobody has said that wine and chocolates were bad for you. There is a light at the end of the tunnel even though my nose still hurts when I wrinkle it.
My sideways has straightened up. I am doing something right.
The next morning was the bad hair day, unusual for me who often walks into the salon and receives comments like I had just had my hair done. But yesterday it was poker straight. The weather was inclement and it was hot in the house. I will blame that combination of things. When a girl has a bad hair day everything goes sideways.
By evening, the rain was heavy. I had a meeting at the RCYC (The Royal Canadian Yacht Club) but the land offices and not on the island. It was dark but the glass doors were well lit, or should I say glass door. The other beside it was a window that looked like an open door and I went smack dab, nose forward into it. Tears welled up and the lady inside showed great concern. I can't believe I am the only one to do that. When I left I examined the window beside the door and still thought it looked like nothing was there ... except for my telltale nose print. I was more astute on the way out and thought my sideways was going straight but not so. I opened my umbrella and heard an explosion. The first words out of my mouth were "What was that?" Little needle like objects were flying everywhere. It was the mechanism in this expensive automatic umbrella that had gone awry. I managed to hold the limp fabric of the umbrella over my head now like a large hat until I arrived at my car all the while it rattled like a bucket of bolts.
All I could think of was food, drink and the comforts of home. Only my pets were there. I made myself a nice sandwich of pepperoni and lactose free light cheese. I had a few peppercinos on the side. It was delicious and I didn't want to drink coffee or water and remembered the remainder of the bottle of white wine in the fridge. I polished that off in several shots in a little glass that would fit into the dishwasher so I wouldn't have to hand wash it. It was lovely. My dessert was 3 humungous Campfire marshmallows. I proceeded then to smoky almonds and dark chocolate bark, all leftover from Thanksgiving or even Rosh Hashana. I finished my pig out, watched TV and my husband finally came home from his meeting and I went to bed.
I woke up in the morning and blew the blood from my nose from last night's misdoings. I weighed myself and noted I had gained almost a pound from my late night eating and drinking. I made myself my latte, took a few sips and as usual I am up and down in the morning collecting my things or feeding the cats before going out. By the time I returned to the latte, a ladybug had flown into it and drowned. Will this sideways direction ever end, I wondered, except someone told me later that ladybugs are good luck.
As the day went on, things got better, thank goodness. Maybe ladybugs are good luck. Maybe that is the end to this comedy of errors. I read the morning paper about how all the things that are now bad for you. Multivitamins can kill you, Vitamin E can cause prostate cancer, apples can rot your teeth and juice is worse and fish can bring on early menopause. All of a sudden, a bright light was illuminated. I don't take multivitamins or Vitamin E, I don't drink fruit juice and I don't eat fish. Maybe all the crap I ate wasn't so bad after all. Nobody has said that wine and chocolates were bad for you. There is a light at the end of the tunnel even though my nose still hurts when I wrinkle it.
My sideways has straightened up. I am doing something right.
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