Alien Greens - Roman cauliflower

Romanesco Broccoli also known as Roman cauliflower is definitely a sight to see, and a delight to eat. I had never heard of it until a few months ago when I stumbled upon this strange looking brocoflower at my Italian grocery store. Obviously I just had to buy it when it said grown in Ontario. It was really funny to see people looking at it picking it up like it was some strange alien vegetable. I figured it had to be similar to a broccoli or cauliflower and I was right. It's very close to cauliflower however it has these amazing pointed edges and a vibrant florescent green colour. It's also a bit sweeter then cauliflower which has a very pungent smell when cooked - my dad thinks it smells like feet and can't stand the stuff. I just love it but for those cauliflower haters Romanesco broccoli would be a great alternative.  I enjoyed this beautiful bouquet of veg roasted with olive oil s&p and it was amazing. There are so many vegetables that need very little preparation to taste delicious and this is one of them. 
PREP: Pre heat oven 350. Wash and cut veg into bite size florets. Coat every piece with a drizzle of olive oil sea salt and pepper. 
COOK: roast until golden or slightly charred peaks 20 mins or so - i like mine with a bit of bite and lots of char so I roast them under the broiler for about 10 mins. 

Mexican Fritatta with smokey black beans

You know I loooove fritattas. They are just the best way to start off a lazy Sunday. Plus they're super simple and satisfying. I created this yummy dish using left over black beans and some tomatoes that were on their last life a scallion and blend of cheddar and mozzarella cheese. INGREDIENTS: 
1 can black beans
1 clove of garlic - minced
pinch cumin
pinch smoked paprika
5 eggs - whisked 
handful of chopped tomatoes
1/2 onion chopped
parsley - chopped (small bunch)
1 scallion - chopped
handful or two of shredded cheese
avocado (optional)
PREP: Chop veg and whisk eggs with a touch or water or milk add chopped parsley. Pre heat over to 350. 
COOK: For the beans - In a small pot heat the beans with 1/2 garlic, cumin, paprika s&p, and simmer until they thicken, then remove from heat (can be made in advance up to two days ahead). Then in a medium frying pan sautee the onions with olive oil s&p and the rest of the garlic. Cook until translucent add chopped tomatoes and continue to cook for 1 min and remove from heat, then add to egg mixture with 1/2 a cup or more of the beans - quickly whisk everything together.  Add a little butter or oil to the pan so the eggs don't stick, on a med high heat add egg and mixture. Let cook for 3-5 mins, and wiggle the pan to see if the bottom is cooked, add shredded cheese and transfer to the oven for about 10 mins or until eggs are firm. You may want to put the broiler on for the last minute or so to get the cheese really gooey or crispy like the top of a pizza. Once removed from the oven sprinkle with scallions. 
SERVE: with slices of avocado and multigrain toast. 

Epic Mealtime = Epic Heart Attack

I'm usually all for a gluttonous over the top meal, but this group of Epic Mealtime friends have taken gluttony to another level completely. I don't know wether this is a freakish food fantasy or a giant nauseating nightmare. I watch their video called Turbacon Epic just after eating dinner and I ended up pulling over on my drive home to have a little side of the road puke.  Not kidding! and I'm still not sure if it was the sub par Thai food I ate for dinner or this disgusting display of culinary adventure.  These dudes kind of remind me of Johnny Knoxville or the Wild Boys they have a limited vocabulary and that X-treme adventure i'll do anything on a five dollar bet attitude. This group of native Montreallers clearly have a passion for deep fried, greasy,  fast food to the max. The videos are uploaded weekly and have a huge web following. Would love to know what you guys think...freaky or fantastic? 

Swiss Chalet Rotisserie Chicken Channel

I just read the most amazing thing on fb today. My all time favorite Canadian rotisserie chicken delivery will be trying out something new. A feast for the eyes if you will.  Swiss Chalet has announced they will be launching a new 24 hour rotisserie chicken channel. I'm beaming with dirty chicken excitement. For an initial 13 weeks we'll be able to enjoy the warm fuzzy feelings of roasted chicken in the comfort of your own home. Too bad it doesn't come complete with smell-o-vision!

Thirty and Flirty Birthday Bash

I recently threw my friend Ilana a 30th birthday party. We wanted to do appetizers and cocktails and pretty much nibble all night long. The party was set for Saturday February the 5th with 19 RSVP'ing YES. I was super excited and wanted to make sure there would be something for everyone to enjoy. The night of the party it was an awful snowy evening,  a few people including the Birthday girls brother and cousins had to cancel last minute because they were all sick with a cold. Too bad they didn't make my recipe for roasted garlic soup - another post to look forward to a must in the cold winter flew months. I made nine different appetizers with about 2-3 bites per app, per person... a ton of food, and even though we weren't at capacity we devoured every last drop of food. Although I did manage to freeze a bag of perogies for a later date. 
THE MENU: 
 Assortment of dips: Hummus, Baba Ganoush, and sundried tomato and feta dip with fresh basil, which was totally the home run of the evening. 

People were pretty much licking the bowl by the end of the night. Served with a vegetable platter and different crackers and breads. 

Goats cheese truffles with pistachios rolled around chilled grapes.  

Moroccan spiced meatballs with pomegranate yogurt. 

Home made potato chips with smoked salmon and lemon creme fresh.

Perogies with caramelized onions and chive sour cream.

Wild mushroom tart with thyme and Fontina cheese. 

Dulce de leche with berries. 

We also served white cake for the birthday girl and glazed donuts.

  

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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