Barchef review - Beverages that Bling

A while back I went out with a few friends to this uber hip place called barchef. I can't believe I never knew about this hot spot when I lived in the area not that I could afford to go there too often anyways. This place is major mulla $$$ so be prepared to indulge. The atmosphere is trendy hipster goth with a side of sexy. It's also been rated one of the top bars in the world by my favorite food guide Food and Wine magazine (who knew).  The menu is filled with strange words and descriptions but it all sounds amazing. The staff really know their way around to navigate you through all the bs. so you can find a bevy that best suits your taste buds. Our server was great - obviously I had a bunch of questions i'm always the yappy one at the table. When a cocktail can run you up to 50 big ones you better order something with a good possibility of liking it. We all agreed to order something different. Swapping spit is a must in my group of besties since we all love f&b and always want what the person next to us has ordered. 
THE DAMAGE: 
Ginger Lemon Mash *** Just divine refreshing mmmm...
Midnight Mask *** The ultimate vampire cocktail, had this stunning dark red colour. Was sweet and spice and mysterious. 
Sailors Mojito *** the beach essence was a delicious surprise as well as the mojito ravioli. Other then that it tasted like a mojito. 
VanGogh's Downfall *** Very good, can't really remember too much about this one... maybe it was the one too many ;)
Mad Men ** Interesting but not amazing, tobacco was kinda lost on me. 
Smooth as sage ** Very delicious a bit heavy on the vanilla syrup. 
Overall great drinks, good music and fun atmosphere they were playing some wacky old black and white movie that was being projected on a wall  totally reminded me of the terrace at the Drake Hotel.  Tables are kinda close together and everyone stares at you while your drink is being brought over. There's a lot of pointing and oo'ing and "what's that over there" going on. Some cocktails can take a while to prepare since there are so many little finishing touches going into them. If your looking for a 6$ jack and coke go elsewhere... It's a slap in the face to the mixologist (no bartenders here). Would definitely go back again for a special occasion. Definitely interested to see what the food is like. 
Chow for now. 

Colourful Carrots

My favorite part about winter is the beautiful coloured carrots. Purple, pink, red, orange, yellow... they are amazing! There isn't really a difference in flavor but I think it's way more fun to eat them.  Carrots are considered the second most popular vegetable in the world next to potatoes. They are filled with vitamins, and believe it or not are considered healthier slightly cooked.  For more information go to the Carrot Museum on varieties of carrots and nutritional information. 

F*&^&^$*&^$ocaccia

First try Focaccia a F*&^&$#%$# disaster!!! 
At least the picture looks pretty right? I'll re-post soon when I made this bread properly. Moral of the story do not make focaccia with whole wheat flour - it just doesn't work. Like a heavy brick. Oh yes also do not make it in a muffin tin... doh!!

champagne and skittles

Feeling in an Empire state of mind this aft, listening to Alicia and remembering my great galls getaway weekend last summer.  Champagne and skittles candy don't knock until you try it. When i'm with my girlfriends in NYC we tend to act a little silly. We stayed at the Waldorf Astoria and decided this would be a great way to start the weekend off. Some people say strawberries and champaign - we say skittles. Miss you Julies. xoxoxo

Do Not Try This at Home - kitchen experiment gone wrong.

 I'm planning and hosting a friends birthday this weekend, and while looking at recipes for inspiration I came upon this HILARIOUS video. I had to share it with all of you. Please let me know if Steve and I are the only ones laughing. I guess I won't be serving deep fried gnocchi this weekend.  His laugh kills me!



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Fiery tomato & fennel soup

This recipe is coming to you with out a photo... for now. I promise the next time I make it to really doll it up. This is a soup my mother has made every year for the Jewish holidays and I just love it. I didn't even need a recipe to re create it so its super ABC (easy). I made it recently for a friends dinner party and it was a HUGE hit. Stove top is definitely faster then roasting which can ad up to an hour, but I have to admit the flavor can't be beat, roasting is always my preference. There's nothing better then making huge vats of this soup at the end of the summer with fresh roma's and freezing it. I'll give you the breezy version today INGREDIENTS: Fiery Tomato Fennel Soup
Serves 6: prep: 5 mins cook: 25 mins
1 can roma tomatoes - crushed/ chopped/ whole whatever you have on hand
3 leeks
3 fennel bulbs - save the greens for garnish
1/2 can tomato paste
1 carton chicken or veg stock - 4 cups 
2 pre-roasted red peppers skin off (optional) 
olive oil 
s&p
chili flakes or oil - (optional) 
PREP: Rough chop leeks and fennel
COOK: Sautee leeks and fennel in evoo on medium heat until translucent (about 10 mins) sprinkle s&p. Add tomatoes + paste chicken broth, and bring to the boil. Let simmer about 20 mins. Remove from heat - blend until smooth... Check for seasoning... ENJOY
SERVE: Drizzle of high quality Olive Oil, some chili flakes or chili oil or for a real treat basil oil, and the green fennel ferns sprinkled on top. 

EVOO- Extra Virgin Olive Oil 

Habachi Love: Sesame sticky chicky and bbq'ed veg

If you don't have the room for a proper bbq a hibachi is great way to enjoy bbq'ed goodness with out the big commitment, and they're easy on the wallet as well. We bought ours at Canadian Tire for under $30 bucks.  They do take some time to get used to however, but with all cooking comes a learning curve. I have to admit i'm not the best at using mine - I usually make my man do the hibachi grilling. I' still used to cooking with a gas grill from my last apartment. This recipe can be made by roasting or pan frying as well, but nothing beats the smokiness you get when you grill with charcoal.  INGREDIENTS: Sticky Chicky with bbq'ed veg.
3 servings: prep 10 mins cook 20 mins
6 boneless skinless chicken highs
3 bunches of shiitake or oyster mushrooms
2 large green zucchini - thinly sliced
2 large summer squash - thinly sliced
2 red pepper - cut into 2 inch strips
1 clove garlic - minced
2 tbs soy sauce
2 tbs hoisin sauce
2 tbs honey
1 tsp sesame oil
pinch cayanne pepper
2 scallions - fine chop
sesame seeds - optional
bunch cilantro - chopped
PREP: for sesame sticky chicky: in a bowl combine garlic, soy, hoiien, honey, cayanne, scallions, cilantro, sesame oil. Brush mixture onto chicken and let sit (you can marinate over night).  Cut veg. for the zucchini and squash use a mandolin if you have to cut super thing and brush with olive oil s&p. 
COOK: bbq veg first until tender - 5-6 mins. then bbq chicken 4 mins per side brushing extra sauce on to the chicken if there is any left.
SERVE: plate the zucchini and squash around the plate with the chicken layered between the peppers and mushrooms in the center. 

To bake or not to bake... apples are the question!

Some apples are for eating, and others are destined for even more delicious adventures.  I'm doing some baking today and I usually defer to my sissy (sister) for an answer to the ever popular question of "which apples are good for baking?" I've come upon this great article on allrecipes.com. This is a great go to list of which local apples are for eat, and which are for bake! I encourage you all to print out this article and save it with the rest of your food files and recipes. You can always ask your local grocer if you have to make a quick shopping decision and want to be sure. Identifying which apples are suitable for a sauce or tart is extremely difficult since there are 7500 different type of apples around the globe. Rest assured not all of them are available for commercial consumption. If you are curious to know more about these 7500 varieties go to www.allaboutapples.com

Side dish delight - suteed brussel sprouts with red onion

A beautiful combination as a side dish or topping for a pan fried protein. Brussel sprouts are one of those love em or hate em vegetables. We just love em! They are a super veg meaning they have so many healthy properties including antioxidants and can actually prevent cancer. They are very high in fiber as well as vitamin C, A, E and K. Brussel sprouts are best enjoyed slightly cooked to bring out the most of their nutrients. This recipe is simple and delicious, you may even be able to win over some of the haters. 

INGREDIENTS: Suteed brussel sprout and red onion

brussel sprouts - large bunch about 4 cups & blanched                  

1 red onion - thinly sliced

2 small cloves garlic - minced 

red wine vinegar - 2 tbs

olive oil  or butter - 2 tbs

s&p

PREP: quickly blanch & shock your brussel sprouts ie. toss them in boiling salted water for 1 1/2 minutes. then immediately transfer into ice cold water to halt the cooking process. Then pat them dry and  thinly slice. 

COOK: in a medium hot pan sutee the onion in butter or olive oil add garlic s&p and cook until slightly transparent add splash of red wine vinegar allow the alcohol to cook off (about a minute or two) before adding the brussel sprouts to the mixture, cook for another minute or so and you're done!
SERVE: Over pan fried nile perch:
- for pan fried nile perch - season fish with salt and pepper then lightly dust fish with potato flour and fry in a small amount of vegetable oil, serve with lemon. 

Baby steps to eating organic

I know it can be extremely difficult to shop all organic. It is expensive and some people would rather wear fancy shoes as opposed to eat fancy fruits and vegetables. Our bodies are what get us through life so we should pay some attention to what makes us feel good and look good on the inside as well as the outside. This is a beginner list for eating and shopping organic. You will see that you don't have to take the full plunge and eat completely organic. In fact some believe that eating local is more important then eating organic. What I can confidently say is that eating a combination of local, and organic is probably the best nutritionally, sustainably and definitely economically. For the full list of why these fruits and veg are better enjoyed organic please go to everydayhealth.com.
ORGANIC:
potatoes
kale/ collard greens
cherries
spinach
bell peppers
imported grapes
nectarines
blueberries/ strawberries
apples
peaches
celery
NON ORGANIC:
kiwi
pineapple
banana
asparagus
eggplant
mushrooms
tangerines
green peas
cabbage
broccoli
cranberries
raspberries
papaya
mango
watermelon
orange
grapefruit