Amateur Food Porn [General]
2012 Jul 20
Captain, I love food porn, amateur or professional.
Here`s my only enticing pornshot for the week (I`m eating simple as I`m alone `cause my wife is driving around Iceland with her Ma). I thawed out a pound of pulled pork, had a jar of leftover curtido, and made baked arepas, put it all together with some sauce and had a scrumptious, messy, lip-smacking dinner.
The stirfry and jellyroll are both dishes I`d love to eat - will bring chopsticks for the stirfry and some nice Kenyan coffee to go with the jellyroll!
Here`s my only enticing pornshot for the week (I`m eating simple as I`m alone `cause my wife is driving around Iceland with her Ma). I thawed out a pound of pulled pork, had a jar of leftover curtido, and made baked arepas, put it all together with some sauce and had a scrumptious, messy, lip-smacking dinner.
The stirfry and jellyroll are both dishes I`d love to eat - will bring chopsticks for the stirfry and some nice Kenyan coffee to go with the jellyroll!
2012 Jul 20
"Pad Thai from Sweet Basil"
Lucky13, Please adhere to the spirit of this thread and not contribute pictures of professionally made food. See the original post for details.
Nice Pic, but it belongs on the Sweet Basil vendor page : Sweet Basil
Lucky13, Please adhere to the spirit of this thread and not contribute pictures of professionally made food. See the original post for details.
Nice Pic, but it belongs on the Sweet Basil vendor page : Sweet Basil
2012 Jul 20
Aisu Kurimu :
Looks like you have a food porn star in front of your lens.
Nice work!
Now come on all you other Ottawa Foodies. ... before you chow dowm on your creatio (or just lunch or supper) ... GET YOUR PHONE OR CAMERA OUT !
Some of us what to be voyeurs with your amateur food porn !
Looks like you have a food porn star in front of your lens.
Nice work!
Now come on all you other Ottawa Foodies. ... before you chow dowm on your creatio (or just lunch or supper) ... GET YOUR PHONE OR CAMERA OUT !
Some of us what to be voyeurs with your amateur food porn !
2012 Jul 21
so, i got ballsy an actually tried a smoked pizza, which turned into two types of home made dough, (half whole wheat and reg) and topped it with mozza, pepperoni, jalapeno, green pepper, red onion, cherry tomato, ham, and some of my home made bacon. smoked it with hickory for an hour at 260 f and it turned out bloody amazing! i was so surprised :) (broiled it for 2 min to get the cheese to brown a bit better
2012 Jul 22
Lemon Crumble,cream brulee ice cream, berry compote
Food Travel:Macaron is very simple, main ingredients are flour,almond powder, sugar,and egg white. You justneed to know how to make Italian meringue, ( of course you can use French meringue if you like)how long you need to mix meringue and dry ingredients together and right oven temperature. I failed at least 10 times. Filling can be chocolate ganache,jam, anything.
I have recipes from Pierre Hermé Paris and Le Cordon Bleu, I like Pierre Hermé Paris better than bleu.
Food Travel:Macaron is very simple, main ingredients are flour,almond powder, sugar,and egg white. You justneed to know how to make Italian meringue, ( of course you can use French meringue if you like)how long you need to mix meringue and dry ingredients together and right oven temperature. I failed at least 10 times. Filling can be chocolate ganache,jam, anything.
I have recipes from Pierre Hermé Paris and Le Cordon Bleu, I like Pierre Hermé Paris better than bleu.
2012 Jul 24
I've been lurking here for a long time. But I was really happy with how photogenic my last ribs were so I thought this would be a good place to finally pipe up.
Ribs rubbed with a home-made brown-sugar-based rub; 2 hrs at 225 indirect heat with whiskey barrel chips, 1.5 hrs wrapped in foil, 10 minutes over direct high heat while I mopped on the sauce of ketchup + rub + bourbon.
Ribs rubbed with a home-made brown-sugar-based rub; 2 hrs at 225 indirect heat with whiskey barrel chips, 1.5 hrs wrapped in foil, 10 minutes over direct high heat while I mopped on the sauce of ketchup + rub + bourbon.
2012 Jul 24
You will need 18cm diameter cake ring and strip of acetate
Ingredients:
Slice of genoise, about 1cm thick ,17cm diameter
Simple syrup( 1part sugar 1part water , boil them for few minutes.)
Blueberry puree ( strained)200g
Sugar 80g
Gelatine 8g (1table spoon)
Creamcheese 150g at room temp
Lemon juice ½ teaspoon
Blueberry liquor 1/2 table spoon (I used Crème de cassis)
35% cream 100ml
Plain yoghurt 60g
1. Slice genoise 1cm thick, place it into the 18cm diameter cake ring, line it with a strip of acetate, brush genoise with simple syrup.
2. Mix gelatine with 4 table spoons of warm water, then melt it by bain marie
3. Mix blueberry puree, lemon juice and sugar in a saucepan and heat them, but do not boil, just dissolve suger.
4. Add gelatin solution to the step# 3 blueberry puree
5. Put creamcheese over bain marie, whisk cheese until soft and smooth
6. Add blueberry and gelatine mix to the creamcheese bit by bit, whisk well to make smooth mixture. Don’t add blueberry to the creamcheese at once, because mix becomes lumpy.
7. Strain the mix, then cool the mix with ice bath so it will thicken
8. Meantime,make whip cream untill soft peak, then add yoghurt.
9. Mix cream and blueberry together, and pour the mix over the genoise.
10. Make smooth surface. Refridgerate at least 2 hours
11. Once the mousse is set, Pour blueberry jerry on the top.
I don’t really have the recipe for this jerry, it is just blueberry puree, sugar and gelatine.
12. once the jerry is set, carefully remove the mousse from the cake ring.
Ingredients:
Slice of genoise, about 1cm thick ,17cm diameter
Simple syrup( 1part sugar 1part water , boil them for few minutes.)
Blueberry puree ( strained)200g
Sugar 80g
Gelatine 8g (1table spoon)
Creamcheese 150g at room temp
Lemon juice ½ teaspoon
Blueberry liquor 1/2 table spoon (I used Crème de cassis)
35% cream 100ml
Plain yoghurt 60g
1. Slice genoise 1cm thick, place it into the 18cm diameter cake ring, line it with a strip of acetate, brush genoise with simple syrup.
2. Mix gelatine with 4 table spoons of warm water, then melt it by bain marie
3. Mix blueberry puree, lemon juice and sugar in a saucepan and heat them, but do not boil, just dissolve suger.
4. Add gelatin solution to the step# 3 blueberry puree
5. Put creamcheese over bain marie, whisk cheese until soft and smooth
6. Add blueberry and gelatine mix to the creamcheese bit by bit, whisk well to make smooth mixture. Don’t add blueberry to the creamcheese at once, because mix becomes lumpy.
7. Strain the mix, then cool the mix with ice bath so it will thicken
8. Meantime,make whip cream untill soft peak, then add yoghurt.
9. Mix cream and blueberry together, and pour the mix over the genoise.
10. Make smooth surface. Refridgerate at least 2 hours
11. Once the mousse is set, Pour blueberry jerry on the top.
I don’t really have the recipe for this jerry, it is just blueberry puree, sugar and gelatine.
12. once the jerry is set, carefully remove the mousse from the cake ring.
2012 Jul 25
This was dessert. lemon loaf with raspberries, whipped cream and coffee.
The other courses were
fish deep fried with egg, crushed saltine crackers. (my husband's recipe) which was very good and crispy.
home made gnocchi /fresh tomato, wine, herbs
rack of lamb /chilled green beans.
We kept portions small, and the meal lasted 4 hours. Thank heavens this is only an annual event.
The other courses were
fish deep fried with egg, crushed saltine crackers. (my husband's recipe) which was very good and crispy.
home made gnocchi /fresh tomato, wine, herbs
rack of lamb /chilled green beans.
We kept portions small, and the meal lasted 4 hours. Thank heavens this is only an annual event.
2012 Jul 25
My last entry (for now).
Thank you captain caper for this forum. I love seeing everyone's posts of a food they are proud of and I love posting.
This recipe was from sheeatsbears.com
It is garlic, lemon roasted kale
roasted beets
shallot vinaigrette with sauteed haloumi cheese.
It was delicious. now you know what to do with all that kale!
Thank you captain caper for this forum. I love seeing everyone's posts of a food they are proud of and I love posting.
This recipe was from sheeatsbears.com
It is garlic, lemon roasted kale
roasted beets
shallot vinaigrette with sauteed haloumi cheese.
It was delicious. now you know what to do with all that kale!
2012 Jul 26
I just made my "My Kitchen" facebook album publicly viewable. That's the most efficient way for me to share my amateur food porn.
www.facebook.com
www.facebook.com
2012 Jul 28
re: How do you find the time?
Everyone makes time for the things that are important to them. It's a simple question of priorities. For some, preparing an attractive meal takes precedence over other activities, like watching TV.
(says he who was searing a wagyu steak while most were watching the Olympic opening ceremonies)
Everyone makes time for the things that are important to them. It's a simple question of priorities. For some, preparing an attractive meal takes precedence over other activities, like watching TV.
(says he who was searing a wagyu steak while most were watching the Olympic opening ceremonies)
2012 Jul 28
Cardamom, for me it's like fresh foodie said. It's important to me. This luncheon was with a group of people I get together with about once a month for cards. We all like to cook and there is nothing better than hosting a group of people who truly appreciate hospitality and good food. We take turns hosting and the guests always bring the things they have made too. This week a lemon icebox cake, some tasty salads and a couple of nice bottles of wine arrived with my guests. It pretty much takes the whole day, but we all enjoy committing the time to it. I do use convenience foods and fast food too, but there are lots of things I cook from scratch that take very little effort.
2012 Jul 29
This is what happens when you put too many cooks/chefs in the kitchen with a bottle of crystal skull vodka. Our ode to Guy Fieri.
Captain Crunch Belgian Waffles
Belgian waffles dipped in Captain Crunch and deep fried, served with creme anglais, maple bacon and fresh berries (for the healthy part)
Captain Crunch Belgian Waffles
Belgian waffles dipped in Captain Crunch and deep fried, served with creme anglais, maple bacon and fresh berries (for the healthy part)
2012 Aug 6
This is the dinner I made last night. We are camping in upstate NY and found some fresh sweet golden bantam corn. I made the fritters with avocado cream from the current issue of "Food and Drink". Highly recommended! The chicken kababs and coleslaw were good too, but those fritters are an amazing way to use fresh corn.
2012 Aug 8
OK sorry for the length but here goes:
and btw I kept the leftover cakes wrapped tightly in the fridge and reheated them 2 days later for breakfast, and they were excellent with peanut butter and syrup.
Fresh corn cakes with avocado tartare sauce from LCBO Food and Drink Summer 2012
Corn cakes
3 ears corn
1 tbsp chopped jalapeno
1 green onion thinly sliced
3/4 cup all purpose flour
2 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp each baking soda, baking powder, salt
1 egg
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 tbsp melted butter
1/2 tsp vanilla
canola oil for frying
Avocado tartar sauce
1/4 cup finely chopped dill pickle
1 tbsp capers
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 avocado
pinch salt
pea sprouts, coriander or chives for garnish
1.Boil corn until cooked about 6 minutes. Slice kernels off cob into a bowl.
there should be about 1 1/2 cups of kernels. Stir in jalapeno and green onion.
2.In a large bowl, whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In another bowl whisk egg, then buttermilk, melted butter and vanilla. Whisk liquid into dry ingredients then stir in corn mixture.
3. Cover the bottom of a skillet with oil (I used an electric skillet because I'm camping and I find it gives me pretty good temp control and even cooking)Heat to medium and drop batter by tbsp into the hot oil. Cook until the bottom side is golden, then flip. They should not brown too quickly or the insides will be raw, mine were about 3" diamter and took between 1 and 2 minutes per side at 350F. Cool on a baking rack (yes I have one with me when I'm camping LOL)
4.Cakes can be served hot (yummy and crispy on the outside!) or room temperatue, also good. Store covered separated by waxed paper. They can also reheated on a cookie sheet at 400 for about 4 mins per side.
5.For tartar sauce, place chopped pickle in a bowl. Finely chop capers and add along with mayonnaise. Sauce can be covered and refrigerated at this point up to 2 days. Just before serving, coarsely chop avocado and mash into sauce, which should remain chunky. Generously sprinkle with sauce.
6. to serve add a dollop of sauce to each cake and top with pea sprouts, coriander or chives.
and btw I kept the leftover cakes wrapped tightly in the fridge and reheated them 2 days later for breakfast, and they were excellent with peanut butter and syrup.
Fresh corn cakes with avocado tartare sauce from LCBO Food and Drink Summer 2012
Corn cakes
3 ears corn
1 tbsp chopped jalapeno
1 green onion thinly sliced
3/4 cup all purpose flour
2 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp each baking soda, baking powder, salt
1 egg
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 tbsp melted butter
1/2 tsp vanilla
canola oil for frying
Avocado tartar sauce
1/4 cup finely chopped dill pickle
1 tbsp capers
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 avocado
pinch salt
pea sprouts, coriander or chives for garnish
1.Boil corn until cooked about 6 minutes. Slice kernels off cob into a bowl.
there should be about 1 1/2 cups of kernels. Stir in jalapeno and green onion.
2.In a large bowl, whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In another bowl whisk egg, then buttermilk, melted butter and vanilla. Whisk liquid into dry ingredients then stir in corn mixture.
3. Cover the bottom of a skillet with oil (I used an electric skillet because I'm camping and I find it gives me pretty good temp control and even cooking)Heat to medium and drop batter by tbsp into the hot oil. Cook until the bottom side is golden, then flip. They should not brown too quickly or the insides will be raw, mine were about 3" diamter and took between 1 and 2 minutes per side at 350F. Cool on a baking rack (yes I have one with me when I'm camping LOL)
4.Cakes can be served hot (yummy and crispy on the outside!) or room temperatue, also good. Store covered separated by waxed paper. They can also reheated on a cookie sheet at 400 for about 4 mins per side.
5.For tartar sauce, place chopped pickle in a bowl. Finely chop capers and add along with mayonnaise. Sauce can be covered and refrigerated at this point up to 2 days. Just before serving, coarsely chop avocado and mash into sauce, which should remain chunky. Generously sprinkle with sauce.
6. to serve add a dollop of sauce to each cake and top with pea sprouts, coriander or chives.
2012 Aug 9
I'm afraid I have no porn to share, as I only really started cooking about 6 weeks ago (yeah, at 32 - wild!), but I will most certainly be trying some of these. Thank you all for sharing your recipes :D
And EnglishFoodie: THAT is true food porn! Messy, shameful, and leaves you panting with a wicked grin
And EnglishFoodie: THAT is true food porn! Messy, shameful, and leaves you panting with a wicked grin
2012 Aug 9
Raw and hardcore.
Mountain of meat (pork shoulder from Sasloves, 2 types of kabanos - spicy and mild, 2 pounds of keilbassa, and quality smoked bacon - all from Continental delicatessen), with reconstituted wild polish forest mushrooms to be added to added to my Dad's killer Bigos recipe (the national dish of Poland).
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bigos
Picture of the finished Bigos to come soon, after it’s been slow cooking for 2 days. I can eat this all day everyday, breakfast lunch and dinner.
Mountain of meat (pork shoulder from Sasloves, 2 types of kabanos - spicy and mild, 2 pounds of keilbassa, and quality smoked bacon - all from Continental delicatessen), with reconstituted wild polish forest mushrooms to be added to added to my Dad's killer Bigos recipe (the national dish of Poland).
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bigos
Picture of the finished Bigos to come soon, after it’s been slow cooking for 2 days. I can eat this all day everyday, breakfast lunch and dinner.
2012 Aug 9
Ok, That bigos sounds like the most amazing thing I'll ever eat.... I'm going to make some sauerkraut and see what I can do to make this from scratch. You recommend cooking for 48hrs in a crockpot on low I would assume? Adding a bit of water periodically?
I'm gonna have fun with this one!Thx ilikerealfood!
I'm gonna have fun with this one!Thx ilikerealfood!
2012 Aug 10
Nukem, it is not a particularly difficult dish to make, it is just a little time consuming. I didn't use a crock pot, because mine is not very big. Just a huge pot on the stove. Cooked it one evening for a few hours, placed it in the fridge, and did the same the next night.
In this particular version, I did not use prunes, or juniper berries, but I did use caraway, marjarom, bay leaf, an entire bulb of garlic, a nice amount of peppercorns and a few chillis.
Seasoning is open to interpretation, but the meat, kapusta (sauerkraut) and cabbage contribute most to the taste. Just a note on the sauerkraut, you must use polish sauerkraut (as opposed to German), meaning it should not be made with vinegar. I don't make sauerkraut so I can't comment on the fermenting process, but I find that bigos turns out waaay to sour if made with common sauerkraut from loblaws (I think its called brine, or vinegar based sauerkraut). I finished my bigos off with a glob of honey to take the edge off, but it's still nice and savory.
It's also great to make it with half and half (fresh cabbage/kapusta)
I made this bigos for a Polish themed party that I am going to on Saturday, but I couldn't help grabbing a little bowl for breakfast this morning.
Sorry for the crappy iphone picture, but man, this might be one of my favorite foods. In fact it is one of the best dishes to make and freeze, since it tastes better every time it is reheated, trust me.
In this particular version, I did not use prunes, or juniper berries, but I did use caraway, marjarom, bay leaf, an entire bulb of garlic, a nice amount of peppercorns and a few chillis.
Seasoning is open to interpretation, but the meat, kapusta (sauerkraut) and cabbage contribute most to the taste. Just a note on the sauerkraut, you must use polish sauerkraut (as opposed to German), meaning it should not be made with vinegar. I don't make sauerkraut so I can't comment on the fermenting process, but I find that bigos turns out waaay to sour if made with common sauerkraut from loblaws (I think its called brine, or vinegar based sauerkraut). I finished my bigos off with a glob of honey to take the edge off, but it's still nice and savory.
It's also great to make it with half and half (fresh cabbage/kapusta)
I made this bigos for a Polish themed party that I am going to on Saturday, but I couldn't help grabbing a little bowl for breakfast this morning.
Sorry for the crappy iphone picture, but man, this might be one of my favorite foods. In fact it is one of the best dishes to make and freeze, since it tastes better every time it is reheated, trust me.
2012 Aug 10
Captain, in another thread you asked if I grilled my halloumi - sometimes I grill it on the barbie, sometimes I fry it up; tonight I fried it up with a pinch of whole cumin seeds to flavour it. I also used beluga lentils flavoured with ground cumin and coriander seeds, mint and parsley, olive oil and lemon juice, as well as cukes and tomatoes from the garden. All in it was Yum!
2012 Aug 11
iheart, I use different recipes for biscuits all the time. Those in the picture are called "cat's head" biscuits and I got the recipe from an episode of America's test kitchen. Don't have it with me unfortunately while I'm travelling. I have also lately had really good luck with recipes for "cream" biscuits. Search online at finecooking.com or epicurious.com. I think my biscuits turn out best when I use American flour for some reason. I brought back some white lily from texas and the results are consistent and dependable. Maybe someone can explain why white lily is different than Canadian flour?
2012 Aug 11
From Wikipedia: White Lily Flour is milled from only 100% pure, soft red winter wheat. Soft winter wheat is a variety of wheat that has a low protein content and low gluten content. It is the type of flour often recommended by bakers for cakes, biscuits, and quick breads. White Lily All-Purpose Flour is lower in protein content because the soft wheat is pure -- not blended with hard wheat. (Hard wheat has a much higher protein content and gluten content.)
I think that Canadian all purpose flour is typically made with hard wheat.
I think that Canadian all purpose flour is typically made with hard wheat.
2012 Aug 13
Baked a fresh batch of rolls tonight, for use with left over pasta sauce from yesterday, which is made of strained tomatoes, 10 cherry, and two beef steak tomatoes from my garden, bacon, ground beef, a hand full of fresh herbs from my garden (parsley, chives, rosemary and oregano), a whole bulb of garlic, a nice dose of chili peppers, a red onion, salt, pepper and a splash of sugar.
Best dang sloppy Joes.
Best dang sloppy Joes.
2012 Aug 14
Key Lime Cheesecake, it's a phone picture, and My lighting is horrible.
Normally I let the cheesecake rest for 6 hours before I add the key lime curd to the top, I was a little time constrained this time so instead I cooked the curd to a very thick consistency on the stove stop and poured it on the cheesecake while it had 5 mins left in the oven.
Saved me some time, but the cheesecake (obviously) came out denser than I prefer.
Normally I let the cheesecake rest for 6 hours before I add the key lime curd to the top, I was a little time constrained this time so instead I cooked the curd to a very thick consistency on the stove stop and poured it on the cheesecake while it had 5 mins left in the oven.
Saved me some time, but the cheesecake (obviously) came out denser than I prefer.
2012 Aug 15
Last nights dinner: fried pork schnitzel with garlic mash potatoes (filled with chives and other herbs from my garden), sautéed spinach with garlic, buttery corn, topped with chopped, pan fried keilbassa. (kind of turns into lardons, but leaner)
Left the schnitzel in the pan, about 30 seconds too long, but I love me a nice crispy crust so it was still very enjoyable and delicious. Today’s schnitzel sandwich for lunch is going to be great
Left the schnitzel in the pan, about 30 seconds too long, but I love me a nice crispy crust so it was still very enjoyable and delicious. Today’s schnitzel sandwich for lunch is going to be great
2012 Aug 17
Thanks Big mouth! I appreciate it. I'll keep em coming. ;-) I've been cooking alot more lately, and saving a ton of money while still eating like a king. It keeps me out of trouble.
Tonight was date night.. and I cooked this lovely doosey for my lovely lady.
Mushroom "Ravioli" made with four kinds of mushrooms (portabella, cremini, shitake, those super thin ones (enoki or something), lots of garlic, fresh pasta from la botega, browned butter, great parmigiano reggiano cheese (also from la botega), dill from the market + other herbs from my garden.
This is one of my favorite things to make... my version is a variation of laura calder's recipe found here www.foodnetwork.ca
I use more butter, more herbs, a different blend of mushrooms, more cheese, just more...but its most certainly her recipe.
Tonight was date night.. and I cooked this lovely doosey for my lovely lady.
Mushroom "Ravioli" made with four kinds of mushrooms (portabella, cremini, shitake, those super thin ones (enoki or something), lots of garlic, fresh pasta from la botega, browned butter, great parmigiano reggiano cheese (also from la botega), dill from the market + other herbs from my garden.
This is one of my favorite things to make... my version is a variation of laura calder's recipe found here www.foodnetwork.ca
I use more butter, more herbs, a different blend of mushrooms, more cheese, just more...but its most certainly her recipe.
2012 Aug 18
Kinda proud of this one today. My first attempt at making puff pastry from scratch, and there were no flops! It took all bloody day, but it was worth it.
Made these sausage rolls with dry hunters sausage from continental delicatessen.
Not sure why the picture keeps going sideways :-S, it looks normal on my computer.
Made these sausage rolls with dry hunters sausage from continental delicatessen.
Not sure why the picture keeps going sideways :-S, it looks normal on my computer.
2012 Aug 18
ilikerealfood, the sideways thing doesn't happen to many people other than you. I'm still not sure what exactly is causing it. Are you using a Sony product to generate your photos?
Somehow, there's a tag in your photo that instructs your computer to turn it sideways but the site software doesn't respect that. I'd love to find out the root cause because it bugs me when I see sideways pictures. And I'm getting a crick in my neck!
Somehow, there's a tag in your photo that instructs your computer to turn it sideways but the site software doesn't respect that. I'd love to find out the root cause because it bugs me when I see sideways pictures. And I'm getting a crick in my neck!
2012 Aug 19
Three little ribs done Memphis style atop some lemon pepper rice. Cooked over Basque at 350 for an hour and a half. Crispy juicy and spicy!
www.bbqu.net
www.bbqu.net
2012 Aug 19
Hosted a tea today, and these are what we call "Aunt Vera's church lady tea sandwiches". They are addictive. Thin white bread and a mixture of cream cheese with chopped maraschino cherries and as much chopped crystallized ginger as you can stand. They don't look so pretty in this photo, but so tasty!
2012 Aug 21
So on my last visit to Union the chef asks me if my fridge has broken down -- maybe I should be eating in a bit more? ;o)
Big agribusiness here in Canada has ensured that small scale farmers such as Krusty are not allowed to advertise the fact that they have chickens for sale. So let me do it for him: fellow foodie Krusty raises kick ass chickens! I know firsthand, I've gotten 6 from him and still have 3 left.
One has been thawing in the fridge since the weekend so this afternoon I got my knife sharpened (www.sharpeningshoppe.com) and set about breaking down the bird. I'm quite good at this now but after butchering the legs, wings and back, I got lazy and called my Dad to pick up the rest of the carcass (with the neck and DD breasts still intact; a win-win situation really as I'll be invited over for whatever meal they become.)
Is anyone else here a fan of Steve Raichlen? I watched a few episodes of his BBQ U on PBS one summer and came to have quite a bit of respect for him as both a grilling expert and savoury chef. I really like the spice rub for his Calgary Hot Wings: salt, pepper, paprika, ground chile powder and the secret ingredient, celery seed. My husband used indirect grilling to cook the chicken and I finished it off with a decadent combination of melted butter and Chamomile Desjardins' Cool Canadian Hot Sauce which is heavy on the scotch bonnet peppers.
To offset the calories it seemed only reasonable to substitute kefir for sour cream as a dip, kefir being almost as tart but easier on the hips.
I had bought some Seed to Sausage bacon last week and decided to use the rendered fat to saute some zucchini slices, freshly shucked kernels of corn, onion, green peppers and blanched yellow beans as a side to the chicken. Wine tonight was a glass of Chardonnay from Stanner Vineyards in PEC (although it was bottled from Niagara grapes).
Big agribusiness here in Canada has ensured that small scale farmers such as Krusty are not allowed to advertise the fact that they have chickens for sale. So let me do it for him: fellow foodie Krusty raises kick ass chickens! I know firsthand, I've gotten 6 from him and still have 3 left.
One has been thawing in the fridge since the weekend so this afternoon I got my knife sharpened (www.sharpeningshoppe.com) and set about breaking down the bird. I'm quite good at this now but after butchering the legs, wings and back, I got lazy and called my Dad to pick up the rest of the carcass (with the neck and DD breasts still intact; a win-win situation really as I'll be invited over for whatever meal they become.)
Is anyone else here a fan of Steve Raichlen? I watched a few episodes of his BBQ U on PBS one summer and came to have quite a bit of respect for him as both a grilling expert and savoury chef. I really like the spice rub for his Calgary Hot Wings: salt, pepper, paprika, ground chile powder and the secret ingredient, celery seed. My husband used indirect grilling to cook the chicken and I finished it off with a decadent combination of melted butter and Chamomile Desjardins' Cool Canadian Hot Sauce which is heavy on the scotch bonnet peppers.
To offset the calories it seemed only reasonable to substitute kefir for sour cream as a dip, kefir being almost as tart but easier on the hips.
I had bought some Seed to Sausage bacon last week and decided to use the rendered fat to saute some zucchini slices, freshly shucked kernels of corn, onion, green peppers and blanched yellow beans as a side to the chicken. Wine tonight was a glass of Chardonnay from Stanner Vineyards in PEC (although it was bottled from Niagara grapes).
2012 Aug 23
Tonight's hurry-up dinner, a warm Middle Eastern chickpea dish known as Balila, often eaten as a breakfast dish. The chickpeas are bathed in a dressing of garlic, ground cumin and coriander seeds, green onions, lemon juice and olive oil. Making it extra tasty are cucumbers, tomatoes and parsley from the garden, with some toasted pine nuts and feta. Celery from the garden was an afterthought, tomatillos too, but they got eaten up. Delicious dinner!
2012 Aug 31
Mmm-mmm - peach pie looks tasty, krusty. Did it have a bit of candied ginger in it or was it just those glorious peaches that we've enjoyed these past few weeks? Either way - mmm-mmm-mmm! Who knew Norm was such a peachy guy?
All I have is this pic of coriander seeds I picked yesterday to dry and was enjoying the smell of while downloading pics to my computer so I snapped this pic. I highly recommend that anyone growing coriander let some go to seed and pick it when the green seeds start to turn a lighter green to brown and dry it for a while before bagging or bottling. I've a couple cups to share come Xmas. Also good to just crush and enjoy (like I am now or when walking by it in the garden) tucked away in between cheek and jaw.
All I have is this pic of coriander seeds I picked yesterday to dry and was enjoying the smell of while downloading pics to my computer so I snapped this pic. I highly recommend that anyone growing coriander let some go to seed and pick it when the green seeds start to turn a lighter green to brown and dry it for a while before bagging or bottling. I've a couple cups to share come Xmas. Also good to just crush and enjoy (like I am now or when walking by it in the garden) tucked away in between cheek and jaw.
2012 Sep 4
Last night's dinner, Tuscan Pork Pie, a Life of Pie recipe found here: blogs.ottawacitizen.com The meat was so tender, the crust so flaky, and it was a flavourful delight with balsamic vinegar, prunes, wine, homemade plum sauce... If I wasn't a piemaker (OK, dw makes the dough and rolls it out, I make the filling) I'd make just the filling and spoon it over mashed taters or maybe some spaetzle to fill my gizzard. If you haven't yet learned to love sweet with your meat this recipe might do ya.
Waiting for the next pie-day, fruit pies for the freezer for fall and Xmas...
Ken V I hope that chorizo was as good as it looks - I'm trying to pick up a piece of it with a toothpick to dip in your salsa for a quick bite! YUM!
Waiting for the next pie-day, fruit pies for the freezer for fall and Xmas...
Ken V I hope that chorizo was as good as it looks - I'm trying to pick up a piece of it with a toothpick to dip in your salsa for a quick bite! YUM!
2012 Sep 5
I made an Irish brunch for my ma (who is Irish of course!)
I attempted an Irish Soda bread (very tasty, but not lookin much like the picture - LOL)
Slather it with butter warm from the oven.
And Irish Colcannon - which is mashed potatoes mixed with kale or cabbage and green onions. You spread it in a dish, make 4 pockets, crack an egg into each pocket and surround with sharp cheddar cheese.
Bake in the oven for some warm comfort food. (The photo is before it was baked.
I attempted an Irish Soda bread (very tasty, but not lookin much like the picture - LOL)
Slather it with butter warm from the oven.
And Irish Colcannon - which is mashed potatoes mixed with kale or cabbage and green onions. You spread it in a dish, make 4 pockets, crack an egg into each pocket and surround with sharp cheddar cheese.
Bake in the oven for some warm comfort food. (The photo is before it was baked.
2012 Sep 5
ksw That Irish soda bread looks delish! I'll bet it tasted as yummy as it looks.
blubarry Those "Aunt Vera's church lady tea sandwiches" are the exact same sandwiches my mom used to make when she had her knitting club ladies over. Along with the cucumber sandwiches, egg salad sandwiches and other tea sandwiches she used to make. Thanks for the memories-;)
blubarry Those "Aunt Vera's church lady tea sandwiches" are the exact same sandwiches my mom used to make when she had her knitting club ladies over. Along with the cucumber sandwiches, egg salad sandwiches and other tea sandwiches she used to make. Thanks for the memories-;)
2012 Sep 6
pictured is roasted Tomato soup a la Gordon Ramsey. Made with about 15 garden fresh tomatos, bunch of fresh herbs from my garden, and stock from saslov.
www.food.com
I added more sugar, some cayanne, more garlic, and herbs other than those listed here. Super simple, very rich and very healthy too :-) Roasting the tomatoes really deepens the flavour and lets not forget about all that healthy lycopene!
www.food.com
I added more sugar, some cayanne, more garlic, and herbs other than those listed here. Super simple, very rich and very healthy too :-) Roasting the tomatoes really deepens the flavour and lets not forget about all that healthy lycopene!
2012 Sep 13
And dinner was this super nutritional, beautiful and tasty beet and kale salad with some chevre and toasted pepitas from www.bastyrcenter.org
2012 Sep 14
ksw Looks simply delish! Really nice sharing plate.
Tonight I have a brownie that's worth sharing. Now I've eaten a lot of brownies in my time (and can't remember one not worth eating, even those dry, hard and chewy ones I used to make long, long ago) but these are my fave and have been for years. I found the recipe on a Unix consulting company website (huh?) years ago - recipe at www.stokely.com - and have loved them since I first made them. Chocolatey, cinnamony, nutty goodness whether cold, warm, or with a scoop of good vanilla ice cream. Thick in a 9" pan (pictured), even thicker in an 8" pan. MMM-MMM-MMM! Good stuff.
Tonight I have a brownie that's worth sharing. Now I've eaten a lot of brownies in my time (and can't remember one not worth eating, even those dry, hard and chewy ones I used to make long, long ago) but these are my fave and have been for years. I found the recipe on a Unix consulting company website (huh?) years ago - recipe at www.stokely.com - and have loved them since I first made them. Chocolatey, cinnamony, nutty goodness whether cold, warm, or with a scoop of good vanilla ice cream. Thick in a 9" pan (pictured), even thicker in an 8" pan. MMM-MMM-MMM! Good stuff.
2012 Sep 16
Have to say Andy that is one killer brownie recipe. They didn't last very long around here. Thanks for sharing! I like them a tad on the under cooked side and next time toasting the wallnuts is a must. Had to substitute the Mexican chocolate though. Anyone know where to get Mexican chocolate in Ottawa?
2012 Sep 16
@ KenV You can find the Ibarra chocolate (the one in the brownie recipe) at the store attached to La Cabana on Merivale and the Latin Market (name escapes me right now) on Montreal Rd, between the Vanier Parkway and the bridge over the Rideau River. They might also have it at the new Chilly Chiles (the old one did).
@ Andy thanks for the recipe - it is on my list and I have Ibarra chocolate in the cupboard - yum!
@ Andy thanks for the recipe - it is on my list and I have Ibarra chocolate in the cupboard - yum!
2012 Sep 16
You are most welcome, Ken V and Gardener Mom. Yours look good Ken V; I only made them once without the Ibarra and they were still good. Gardener Mom, fyi I add a pinch or 2 of cinnamon to them when made with Ibarra for a little extra cinnamon flavour - neither my dw nor a friend who had one for dessert the other night (and later asked my dw for the recipe) noticed the cinnamon flavour in the brownies but I do. Funny, but the one time I made them without Ibarra I found them too cinnamony and made a note to reduce the cinnamon and try maybe 3/4 tsp.
I have also picked up Ibarra at Sultan's Supermarket in the Produce Depot mall at Hunt Club, Ken V. They have a small Mexican foods section.
I have also picked up Ibarra at Sultan's Supermarket in the Produce Depot mall at Hunt Club, Ken V. They have a small Mexican foods section.
2012 Sep 16
The finished salsa - my dw complained a bit about the heat but I say have some cheese dear! Even though it's cooked and run through a food processor it maintains some texture and even some crunch from the onions and some of the tomatillo skins. Dinner with some corn chips and a Harviestoun Bitter and Twisted, one of my favourite beers with this salsa. And from South River, Ont., Highlander Brew Co.'s Scottish Ale is another good one to match this stuff.
2012 Sep 16
This was dinner last night -- I has just planned on baking the tortilla into something chiplike but it ended up becoming perfectly puffed so I punched a whole in the top and used it as a bowl. It's filled with sauteed onions, peppers, corn and black beans, topped with some homemade salsa verde and avocados. And eggs of course because I love runny yolks in most circumstances.
The only downside is that I forgot to add the cilantro I had kicking around. D'oh.
The only downside is that I forgot to add the cilantro I had kicking around. D'oh.
2012 Sep 30
BLTMC- Double smoked bacon from the butchery,lettuce,mayo and Havarti jalapeño cheese on white with a Nathans Famous pickle on the side. Well the pickle sure was not famous. Why is it so hard to find a decent pickle that actually tastes like dill in Ottawa? Anyone got any recommendations for good dill pickles? I have tried Strubbs,Mrs Whytes Bicks another from Bank Street deli and a few others I can't remember the names but no luck:(
2012 Oct 1
I made chestnut cream today. I love chestnut cream so much, it is very popular cake filling in Japan.
I can buy sweetened chestnut paste in a can at Metro, so I make chestnut cream with mixing with chocolate or 35% cream or cream cheese or pastry cream.
My last supper will be a cake called Montblanc.
en.wikipedia.org(dessert)
I can buy sweetened chestnut paste in a can at Metro, so I make chestnut cream with mixing with chocolate or 35% cream or cream cheese or pastry cream.
My last supper will be a cake called Montblanc.
en.wikipedia.org(dessert)
2012 Oct 4
Absolutely stunning Salad Niçoise pictures, Aisu Kurimu. The top one is like a beautiful painting - I can see a print of it hanging on a wall! Gorgeous! And to think it`s meant to be eaten, wowsa. I`d love to see it full screen, must be wonderful...or hanging on my wall...I love it. Well done.
2012 Oct 6
Aisu,
Was looking at your mousse cake recipe and have a few questions to pick your brain..
1. If you use acetate, you throw the acetate out after? or would they be reused? I know parchment paper after use you throw out.
2. Do you need to get food grade acetate? And if so where can you get it?
3. Do you have a recipe for the genoise?
4. Do you think I can substitute the sugar with splenda or stevia for the mousse part?
5. I think instead of simple syrup I should be able to substitute for sugar free syrup I can buy at the supermarket. thoughts?
6. For the blueberry jelly, Do you think I can puree some sugar free blueberry jam that I bought in the US and add some geletin?
Was looking at your mousse cake recipe and have a few questions to pick your brain..
1. If you use acetate, you throw the acetate out after? or would they be reused? I know parchment paper after use you throw out.
2. Do you need to get food grade acetate? And if so where can you get it?
3. Do you have a recipe for the genoise?
4. Do you think I can substitute the sugar with splenda or stevia for the mousse part?
5. I think instead of simple syrup I should be able to substitute for sugar free syrup I can buy at the supermarket. thoughts?
6. For the blueberry jelly, Do you think I can puree some sugar free blueberry jam that I bought in the US and add some geletin?
2012 Oct 6
Johanna
I usually use my pictures as resume and portfolio, so I spend so much time and effort into it. I will upload "not so hardcore" pics next time :)
FoodTravel
1: Acetate is resuseable. I wash it by hand.
2: I got my acetate at Goulda's kitchen
www.goldaskitchen.com
I am not sure if it is available in Ottawa.
3:Yes I do have a recipe for genoise from Cordon bleu.
I use tempura flour from Japan instead of pastry flour, genoise is very soft and moist.I will send you a email.
4: I think you can do that.
5:You can use sugar free syrup instead of simple syrup
6:I think you can use sugar free bberry jam. Why not!!
I usually use my pictures as resume and portfolio, so I spend so much time and effort into it. I will upload "not so hardcore" pics next time :)
FoodTravel
1: Acetate is resuseable. I wash it by hand.
2: I got my acetate at Goulda's kitchen
www.goldaskitchen.com
I am not sure if it is available in Ottawa.
3:Yes I do have a recipe for genoise from Cordon bleu.
I use tempura flour from Japan instead of pastry flour, genoise is very soft and moist.I will send you a email.
4: I think you can do that.
5:You can use sugar free syrup instead of simple syrup
6:I think you can use sugar free bberry jam. Why not!!
2012 Oct 8
Aisu,
Kanata is kind of far for me and I have been a little cautious about buying sushi grade tuna in Ottawa due to concern about their freshness. Any other place you would recommend in East End or downtown. I might go as far as Merivale/Woodroffe area.
Also do you know if it would be better to buy fresh sushi grade tuna on a particular day for optimal freshness? I would probably avoid Sunday and Monday myself. I tend to sear any tuna I buy since I am not 100% sure how fresh they are.
Off topic, had decent sushi in Mikado in Montreal including tuna sashimi and salmon sashimi and freshly grilled unagi sushi plus some rolls.
Kanata is kind of far for me and I have been a little cautious about buying sushi grade tuna in Ottawa due to concern about their freshness. Any other place you would recommend in East End or downtown. I might go as far as Merivale/Woodroffe area.
Also do you know if it would be better to buy fresh sushi grade tuna on a particular day for optimal freshness? I would probably avoid Sunday and Monday myself. I tend to sear any tuna I buy since I am not 100% sure how fresh they are.
Off topic, had decent sushi in Mikado in Montreal including tuna sashimi and salmon sashimi and freshly grilled unagi sushi plus some rolls.
2012 Oct 8
After smoking my first bird I found I was not a big fan of smoked poultry so I just roast that bad boy in there. Not the slightest bit of smoke flavour - oh man it was good! Hopefully my wife will post some pics of the rest of the meal - I did the bird and gravy and she did everything else including a fantastic squash pie and some quick no-knead bread
2012 Oct 8
I picked all the usable chilis this weekend - jalapenos, huizaches, abuelas, Crimson Hots, and Spanish Padrons, as well as the last of the tomatillo. I made lunch with some sliced Crimson Hot pepper, sauteed in olive oil, then added the eggs, and served on rye bread toast from The Crusty Baker - tasty!
Great year for hot peppers - I`m only sorry I didn't plant any sweet peppers. One of the first breakfasts my son in law made for himself after moving in with us 2 weeks ago was a toasted Kettleman's bagel which he covered with slices of red jalapenos, seeds and membranes included - he was more than impressed, saying that my jalapenos were the hottest he's ever had. And this guy eats more chili peppers and ground chili than anyone I know. He's looking forward to my freshly ground dried chilis and is making do with cleaning out my last year's stock.
Great year for hot peppers - I`m only sorry I didn't plant any sweet peppers. One of the first breakfasts my son in law made for himself after moving in with us 2 weeks ago was a toasted Kettleman's bagel which he covered with slices of red jalapenos, seeds and membranes included - he was more than impressed, saying that my jalapenos were the hottest he's ever had. And this guy eats more chili peppers and ground chili than anyone I know. He's looking forward to my freshly ground dried chilis and is making do with cleaning out my last year's stock.
2012 Oct 8
This is a favorite of ours. Recipe says serves six but we can barely get four servings LOL!Penne ala Caprese in Crudo.
www.lidiasitaly.com
www.lidiasitaly.com
2012 Oct 8
FoodTravel
www.pelicanfisheryandgrill.com
At work, get lots fish from here.
www.capitalfish.ca/
Sushi chef order from Toronto too. I think the name of the company is Ozawa
www.ozawa.ca/home.php
Nobu in Montreal is also nice sushi restro
www.sushinobu.ca/#
www.pelicanfisheryandgrill.com
At work, get lots fish from here.
www.capitalfish.ca/
Sushi chef order from Toronto too. I think the name of the company is Ozawa
www.ozawa.ca/home.php
Nobu in Montreal is also nice sushi restro
www.sushinobu.ca/#
2012 Oct 9
FoodTravel, there's no reason sushi-grade fish would be any worse in Ottawa than anywhere else (like, say, Vancouver). For fish to be safe for sushi it must be frozen (ref: en.wikipedia.org).
That wikipedia entry has a somewhat concerning mention that Ontario has no guidelines for treatment of fish prior to serving raw. If true, that is scary as hell! BC and Alberta mandate the FDA guidelines to deep freeze fish prior to using for sashimi/sushi.
Googling the topic suggests that there is no guarantee that sushi has been frozen prior to consumption. What is clear, however, is that true sushi experts cannot tell the difference between fresh and properly frozen sushi (ref: www.nytimes.com). The implicit suggestion in there is that if you think you can tell the difference, you're probably fooling yourself. :-)
That wikipedia entry has a somewhat concerning mention that Ontario has no guidelines for treatment of fish prior to serving raw. If true, that is scary as hell! BC and Alberta mandate the FDA guidelines to deep freeze fish prior to using for sashimi/sushi.
Googling the topic suggests that there is no guarantee that sushi has been frozen prior to consumption. What is clear, however, is that true sushi experts cannot tell the difference between fresh and properly frozen sushi (ref: www.nytimes.com). The implicit suggestion in there is that if you think you can tell the difference, you're probably fooling yourself. :-)
2012 Oct 10
FF,
With the turnover not as high in Sushi restaurant in Ottawa vs NYC, SF, vancouver, Montreal, etc that actually have a coast. I guess I am sometimes concerned with how long it has been frozen, it it has been properly frozen, and how long it has been defrosted. Also with the prolifiration of sushi places, including some of the AYCE places that are not owned by japanese restauranteurs, does all their staff know about properly frozen sushi grade fish?
Also you depend on the ethics of the restaurant and their owner to toss out expansive fish that is no longer fresh. I think it is actually true that there are no regulation or guidelines for fish served raw in Ontario that is why I look for sushi restaurants that are busy with high turnover.
I have had sushi at Mikado on St Denis recently in Montreal and the salmon and tuna sashimi was very fresh and the unagi tasty and freshly grilled. The rolls were decent for the spicy tuna and very good for the dragon and they had a nice looking spider roll from what they were doing since I was sitting at the Sushi bar.
My best experiences with sushi was with Blue Water Cafe in vancouver and surprisingly enough at Marssa in Lake Las Vegas where they have one of the 7 master chefs in North America?, chef Osamu "Fuji" Fujita. It boggles my mind since that is in the middle of a desert at a hotel which used to be Hyatt Lake Las Vegas then Lowes Lake Las Vegas now Westin Lake Las Vegas. Had sushi there and also the Omasaka for $100 US.
Going for a conference to Las Vegas and really bummed to hear that he was leaving Sept 2012 (so probably left already) to take a job in beverly hills. He is a third generation sushi chef whose father was the personal chef for the Emperor of Japan. Really need to find out where he landed in CA.
This is an interesting article at WSJ about master sushi chefs in Japan and comment why there are so few female sushi chefs..
online.wsj.com
With the turnover not as high in Sushi restaurant in Ottawa vs NYC, SF, vancouver, Montreal, etc that actually have a coast. I guess I am sometimes concerned with how long it has been frozen, it it has been properly frozen, and how long it has been defrosted. Also with the prolifiration of sushi places, including some of the AYCE places that are not owned by japanese restauranteurs, does all their staff know about properly frozen sushi grade fish?
Also you depend on the ethics of the restaurant and their owner to toss out expansive fish that is no longer fresh. I think it is actually true that there are no regulation or guidelines for fish served raw in Ontario that is why I look for sushi restaurants that are busy with high turnover.
I have had sushi at Mikado on St Denis recently in Montreal and the salmon and tuna sashimi was very fresh and the unagi tasty and freshly grilled. The rolls were decent for the spicy tuna and very good for the dragon and they had a nice looking spider roll from what they were doing since I was sitting at the Sushi bar.
My best experiences with sushi was with Blue Water Cafe in vancouver and surprisingly enough at Marssa in Lake Las Vegas where they have one of the 7 master chefs in North America?, chef Osamu "Fuji" Fujita. It boggles my mind since that is in the middle of a desert at a hotel which used to be Hyatt Lake Las Vegas then Lowes Lake Las Vegas now Westin Lake Las Vegas. Had sushi there and also the Omasaka for $100 US.
Going for a conference to Las Vegas and really bummed to hear that he was leaving Sept 2012 (so probably left already) to take a job in beverly hills. He is a third generation sushi chef whose father was the personal chef for the Emperor of Japan. Really need to find out where he landed in CA.
This is an interesting article at WSJ about master sushi chefs in Japan and comment why there are so few female sushi chefs..
online.wsj.com
2012 Oct 24
Warm Potato, Egg and Kale Salad, our dinner last night, a request of my dw (second time this fall she's requested this dish!). Found at food.ninemsn.com.au it makes 2 or 3 servings so I had to double it. Mustardy good! I think a nice grilled sausage would be in order here (but we had them the night before with perogies). I added some mustard leaves for extra mustardy goodness. An especially tasty dish with garlic, potatoes, kale, capers, lemon, olive oil, and Dijon. Yum!
2012 Oct 27
I call it the carb-loader. Grilled mac and cheese sammy on art-is-in sourdough.
Substituted bacon for the ham and added jalapeno to this recipe. Oh and everything was full fat. Great all on it's own! Even better in a sandwich.
www.myrecipes.com
Substituted bacon for the ham and added jalapeno to this recipe. Oh and everything was full fat. Great all on it's own! Even better in a sandwich.
www.myrecipes.com
2012 Nov 6
Fried catfish on a bed of garlic cilantro lime rice. Very hard to find plain catfish in Ottawa.
www.myrecipes.com
www.myrecipes.com
2012 Nov 10
Aisu Kurimu you can get fresh at thenewseafood counter at Produce Depot at Hunclub and Bank or Farmboy has it seasoned but you can ask for it plain but it has to be ordered special they get orders on on Wednesdays I think just ask at the fish counter. You can get frozen at Lapoints in Stittsville.
2012 Nov 15
Ok all you Amateur Food Porn followers. My Neighbourhood Bites is a competition just for you. We are currently looking for amateur cooks, home cooks and foodies with great recipes...which from reading and viewing all your yummy posts...this is exactly for YOU!
Twelve neighbourhoods are competing across the winter months with top three category winners in each neighbourhood having recipes published in a cookbook for the Ottawa Food Bank. Overall winners in the twelve neighbourhoods will be competing in finale event in May 2013 to deem BEST of Ottawa.
We know there is tons of talent in Ottawa and Taboo Eats wants to Expose your Chef-ability! Check out www.tabooeats.com for all details.
Wellington West and Centretown residents and those working in these neighbourhoods apply before the end of November.
Twelve neighbourhoods are competing across the winter months with top three category winners in each neighbourhood having recipes published in a cookbook for the Ottawa Food Bank. Overall winners in the twelve neighbourhoods will be competing in finale event in May 2013 to deem BEST of Ottawa.
We know there is tons of talent in Ottawa and Taboo Eats wants to Expose your Chef-ability! Check out www.tabooeats.com for all details.
Wellington West and Centretown residents and those working in these neighbourhoods apply before the end of November.
2012 Nov 18
Focaccia meatloaf sandwich with my apple wood smoked mozzarella and a bacon tomato sauce. Meatloaf and sauce are Lydia's
www.lidiasitaly.com
www.lidiasitaly.com
2012 Nov 21
I enjoyed it, I'll buy it again, I had the idea for Jerk octopus, but didn't have the time to try that, maybe next time.
it was pretty tender, but next time I'd give him another 5-10 minutes in the pressure cooker. Also, I only beat him up for 20 minutes or so beforehand, a lot of advice I had read said to freeze him first or spend at least 40 minutes tenderizing.
Pressure cooker contained Red Wine Vinegar, Basil, Rosemary, Garlic and Bay Leaf, when I threw him in the broiler I added some olive oil, and fresh pepper.
Captain Caper, always like eating live animals it adds a visceral quality to my meal, eating something that is perfectly capable of crawling out however, may be tough..
To be fair I've only ever eaten live shrimp and live oysters, I've yet to sneak onto a farm and bite a cow...
it was pretty tender, but next time I'd give him another 5-10 minutes in the pressure cooker. Also, I only beat him up for 20 minutes or so beforehand, a lot of advice I had read said to freeze him first or spend at least 40 minutes tenderizing.
Pressure cooker contained Red Wine Vinegar, Basil, Rosemary, Garlic and Bay Leaf, when I threw him in the broiler I added some olive oil, and fresh pepper.
Captain Caper, always like eating live animals it adds a visceral quality to my meal, eating something that is perfectly capable of crawling out however, may be tough..
To be fair I've only ever eaten live shrimp and live oysters, I've yet to sneak onto a farm and bite a cow...
2012 Nov 21
English Foodie : My mom used to boil octopus by adding little bit of baking soda in the water. It should help tenderize the octopus.
My favorite Octopus dish is Takoyaki, it is so good.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Takoyaki
I heared "Taste Ramen + Fusion" on Bank Street serve Takoyaki, but I have not tried yet.
Stir fried octopus with garlic,olive oil, salt and pepper is also really good. Serve with lemon. I would drink cava with it!
My favorite Octopus dish is Takoyaki, it is so good.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Takoyaki
I heared "Taste Ramen + Fusion" on Bank Street serve Takoyaki, but I have not tried yet.
Stir fried octopus with garlic,olive oil, salt and pepper is also really good. Serve with lemon. I would drink cava with it!
2012 Nov 22
Aisu Kurimu, I like most sweets but particulary love fruit-based ones, especially blueberry, apple and lemon. I have been admiring your lovely photos of French macarons too. I have never attempted to make them nor have I ever eaten one. I have made meringues but they are free-form and easy.
2012 Nov 22
Caperbeachgal: The basic French macaron has very simple taste since it's ingredients are almond powder, sugar and egg white, so you can kinda imagine the taste. The fun part of making macaron is that you can play with colour, flavour and filling!That's the best part of making macaron...unlimited possibilities!
This picture is from my work, I made them about 2 years ago.(so I shouldn't post this on forum...but want to show you )
Filling was rose water white chocolate ganache. It was soooooooo good.
I love fruit-based pastries, not so much about heavy chocolate cakes.
This picture is from my work, I made them about 2 years ago.(so I shouldn't post this on forum...but want to show you )
Filling was rose water white chocolate ganache. It was soooooooo good.
I love fruit-based pastries, not so much about heavy chocolate cakes.
2012 Nov 23
I agree on the fun of making macarons. I was surprised by how much they expand on baking - my first batch turned out the size of wagon wheels. :)
Though needing two hands to hold your cookie is not such a bad thing. The favourite that I've built so far: matcha green tea. Really delcious.
p.s. Time to start an Amateur Food Porn Part II.
Though needing two hands to hold your cookie is not such a bad thing. The favourite that I've built so far: matcha green tea. Really delcious.
p.s. Time to start an Amateur Food Porn Part II.
2012 Nov 25
Chipotle-Seasoned Pot Roast. Luckily Produce Depot now carries fresh tomatillos.
speakesonemonthatatime.blogspot.ca
speakesonemonthatatime.blogspot.ca
2012 Dec 9
I guess I need to work on my sarcasm. I meant what I said about your pictures being very beautiful and professional looking, but didn't actually intend for you to leave. I think it's great that you'll have your own thread, though. Keep the pics coming!
Hell, I haven't contributed a jot toward this thread with pictures of my own, so my opinion isn't backed up very well with personal effort.
Hell, I haven't contributed a jot toward this thread with pictures of my own, so my opinion isn't backed up very well with personal effort.
2012 Dec 11
Old-style comfort food, Potatoes with Polish Sauerkraut and hot Debreziner Sausage from the Sausage Kitchen. I've been looking forward this past week to making this tasty dish. Our bellies are full, moreso after also having what may be the ultimate comfort dessert, creamy rice pudding, with a rosemary citrus biscotti on the side.
2012 Dec 12
Quick, easy and delish supper:
Cut spaghetti squash in half, drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper and roast in oven until cooked.
Then add marinara sauce (White Linen from Costco - so good!), top with home-made meatballs (previously made and then frozen), more sauce and some mixed grated cheese.
Put back in the oven till warmed through and brown cheese if desired.
Cut spaghetti squash in half, drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper and roast in oven until cooked.
Then add marinara sauce (White Linen from Costco - so good!), top with home-made meatballs (previously made and then frozen), more sauce and some mixed grated cheese.
Put back in the oven till warmed through and brown cheese if desired.
2012 Dec 18
Hi sourdough. I've never seen a braided stollen, that's cool - I'd like that. I used to buy stollen from a young Swiss baker in Embrun years ago, then we moved to our location now and I had to learn how to make them and all recipes I looked at or tried were the traditional folded shape so that is all I've ever done. Here's a pic of a slice of yesterday's bread. I had a little fire going in the toaster oven this morning because I forgot to knock the loose sugar off the top before toasting it. We're kinda used to toaster oven fires but it is more often likely the almond paste melting that's the cause, but it didn't melt today. btw I used some Red Fife flour in the stollen.
Added note: the Swiss baker went out of business in Embrun but I've heard that he and his wife sell their home-baked goods at some farmer's markets around Ottawa - I wonder if they sell their stollen that so inspired me.
Edit: sourdough, what's the story of your stollen, and why is it braided?
Added note: the Swiss baker went out of business in Embrun but I've heard that he and his wife sell their home-baked goods at some farmer's markets around Ottawa - I wonder if they sell their stollen that so inspired me.
Edit: sourdough, what's the story of your stollen, and why is it braided?
2012 Dec 27
Something different for Christmas dinner. 13lb venison haunch. Rubbed with olive oil, garlic, rosemary, oregano puree, plus salt and pepper. Roasted at 325 for about 3.5 hours. Pulled it out at internal temp of 145 before letting it rest. A great crust on the well-done outer edges; close to the bone was rare enough to satisfy the bloothirstiest of carnivires.
My lazy approach to butchering (keeping the leg primal) paid off with a great festive meal. Would definitely do this again.
My lazy approach to butchering (keeping the leg primal) paid off with a great festive meal. Would definitely do this again.
2013 Jan 7
Oh for the love of food...
I'm starving now - Everything looks fabulous!
Here is my submission: Homemade Granola Bars using some of the fruit that I dehydrated in my Excalibur this summer. Cooling off on a wire kitchen rack.
Find the recipe and instructions here:
treasuretrunklifestyles.blogspot.ca
I'm starving now - Everything looks fabulous!
Here is my submission: Homemade Granola Bars using some of the fruit that I dehydrated in my Excalibur this summer. Cooling off on a wire kitchen rack.
Find the recipe and instructions here:
treasuretrunklifestyles.blogspot.ca
2013 Jan 13
Hey southshoregirl, here it is, and it is delicious - a slightly lightened version I think (ie made without whipping cream). I tend to add various things like lobster, shrimp, scallop, haddock or other white fish, more than a pound... My wife made tea biscuits to go with it.
Zwicker's Inn Chowder
1 lb. haddock fillets, (fresh or frozen) or 1 lb. clam meat
1 cup water or clam juice
1 bay leaf
1 cup diced potato
1/4 cup butter
1 stalk celery
1 onion, chopped
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper
3 tbsp. flour
2 cups light cream
1 cup milk
1/4 cup finely chopped parsley
HADDOCK: Slice fillets into bite-size pieces; place in saucepan with water and bay leaf. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, about 6 minutes, or until fish flakes easily with a fork. Remove fish with slotted spoon; set aside. Save juice left in saucepan.
CLAMS: Steam about 3 lbs. of clams, strain and reserve juice, and add bay leaf. Remove meat from clams. Or use two cans of clams if you must. Add diced potato to water or reserved juice and cook, covered, 5 to 6 minutes, or until just tender. Set aside, without draining.
In a large, heavy saucepan, melt butter; add celery, onion and seasonings. Fry until tender, about 10 minutes; add flour, stirring over medium heat for 3 minutes, until mixture begins to bubble. Meanwhile, in another saucepan, heat the cream and milk until hot; do not allow to boil. Gradually add cream mixture, stirring constantly until it begins to thicken, about 2 minutes. Stir in potato and cooking water; add fish. Return to the boiling point, and remove from heat. DO NOT ALLOW TO BOIL. Remove bay leaf, sprinkle with parsley and serve in heated bowls.
Zwicker's Inn at Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia, was originally established as a hostelry around 1805, operating for most of the last century. Following renovations that kept the original charm but brought the cooking into the 20th century, the Inn was re-opened as a restaurant in 1980. The Seafood Chowder is rich and famous. Best served with crackers, tea biscuits or freshly baked bread.
Enjoy!
Zwicker's Inn Chowder
1 lb. haddock fillets, (fresh or frozen) or 1 lb. clam meat
1 cup water or clam juice
1 bay leaf
1 cup diced potato
1/4 cup butter
1 stalk celery
1 onion, chopped
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper
3 tbsp. flour
2 cups light cream
1 cup milk
1/4 cup finely chopped parsley
HADDOCK: Slice fillets into bite-size pieces; place in saucepan with water and bay leaf. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, about 6 minutes, or until fish flakes easily with a fork. Remove fish with slotted spoon; set aside. Save juice left in saucepan.
CLAMS: Steam about 3 lbs. of clams, strain and reserve juice, and add bay leaf. Remove meat from clams. Or use two cans of clams if you must. Add diced potato to water or reserved juice and cook, covered, 5 to 6 minutes, or until just tender. Set aside, without draining.
In a large, heavy saucepan, melt butter; add celery, onion and seasonings. Fry until tender, about 10 minutes; add flour, stirring over medium heat for 3 minutes, until mixture begins to bubble. Meanwhile, in another saucepan, heat the cream and milk until hot; do not allow to boil. Gradually add cream mixture, stirring constantly until it begins to thicken, about 2 minutes. Stir in potato and cooking water; add fish. Return to the boiling point, and remove from heat. DO NOT ALLOW TO BOIL. Remove bay leaf, sprinkle with parsley and serve in heated bowls.
Zwicker's Inn at Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia, was originally established as a hostelry around 1805, operating for most of the last century. Following renovations that kept the original charm but brought the cooking into the 20th century, the Inn was re-opened as a restaurant in 1980. The Seafood Chowder is rich and famous. Best served with crackers, tea biscuits or freshly baked bread.
Enjoy!
2013 Jan 23
Yep it is pasta week. Trying to find the best dry pasta at a fair price.
Capellini alla Primavera from lydia.
www.lidiasitaly.com
Capellini alla Primavera from lydia.
www.lidiasitaly.com
2013 Jan 23
Ken ... Trying to find the best dried pasta .
Reminds me of an old thread from 2007.
Here it is so (new) Ottawa Foodies can chime in on dried pasta:
ottawafoodies.com
Reminds me of an old thread from 2007.
Here it is so (new) Ottawa Foodies can chime in on dried pasta:
ottawafoodies.com
2013 Jan 27
Puerco Con Chile Verde with rice,pinto beans and home made corn tortillas.
www.foodnetwork.com
www.foodnetwork.com
2013 Feb 1
Hi zymurgist,
I was at one of the Ontario MNR stocked lakes near Madawaska, accessed off of the Major Lake road via a 2 km walk pulling a sled with gear (it is too rough for snowmobiles or atv's). I ice fish these lakes based on the MNR annual stocking lists; this lake was stocked in 2012 (June) with around 1500 trout, I believe. The earlier you go during the ice fishing season, the better you will do, because as time goes on the stocked lakes get "fished out" (until they are stocked again).
I was at one of the Ontario MNR stocked lakes near Madawaska, accessed off of the Major Lake road via a 2 km walk pulling a sled with gear (it is too rough for snowmobiles or atv's). I ice fish these lakes based on the MNR annual stocking lists; this lake was stocked in 2012 (June) with around 1500 trout, I believe. The earlier you go during the ice fishing season, the better you will do, because as time goes on the stocked lakes get "fished out" (until they are stocked again).
2013 Feb 7
Tried my hand at pizza again, after many years. Dry yeast didn't want to cooperate, took three tries and was still unsatisfactory.
Margherita try. Had bought a stone, but not flouring the pan I built the pizza on meant I had to cook it on there instead. Sauce was reduced Aurora diced tomatoes, and Italian buffalo mozzarella. Tasted nice enough.
Margherita try. Had bought a stone, but not flouring the pan I built the pizza on meant I had to cook it on there instead. Sauce was reduced Aurora diced tomatoes, and Italian buffalo mozzarella. Tasted nice enough.
2013 Feb 15
Home made poutine using oven-baked fries. Why have I not been making this for my entire life???
Made the gravy using roughly the Jamie Oliver method from one of his Christmas specials. Roast chicken pieces at high heat in the oven with garlic, celery, onion and carrot. Transfer the whole mess to the stove and add a couple pints of water and a few spoons of flour. Boil the crap out of it and strain it. Season. It yields tremendous amounts of tasty gravy. Jamie uses wings, but they aren't cheap anymore. I used dark meat quarters, which I re-crisped in the oven while cooking up my fries - they can hold up to that amount of abuse and still be fairly tasty. But who's kidding who, poutine was the star and over-cooked chicken was a thrifty afterthought.
Made the gravy using roughly the Jamie Oliver method from one of his Christmas specials. Roast chicken pieces at high heat in the oven with garlic, celery, onion and carrot. Transfer the whole mess to the stove and add a couple pints of water and a few spoons of flour. Boil the crap out of it and strain it. Season. It yields tremendous amounts of tasty gravy. Jamie uses wings, but they aren't cheap anymore. I used dark meat quarters, which I re-crisped in the oven while cooking up my fries - they can hold up to that amount of abuse and still be fairly tasty. But who's kidding who, poutine was the star and over-cooked chicken was a thrifty afterthought.
2013 Apr 8
More than half of the flank steak from Anderson Farm went to my Mom and she rewarded me with one of my favourites: Beef with stir fried rice cake.
Sliced flank steak marinated in soya sauce, sesame seed oil, corn starch, salt, pepper and a little bit of water. With sliced rice cake from T&T and veggies such as asparagus and mushroom.
Sliced flank steak marinated in soya sauce, sesame seed oil, corn starch, salt, pepper and a little bit of water. With sliced rice cake from T&T and veggies such as asparagus and mushroom.
2013 Apr 23
Looking good Ken. Did you grill them? I still have some tubs of salsa, smoked and grilled, in the freezer from last fall - had some with corn chips and guac and some with black bean tostadas when friends were out last weekend - good stuff! I was surprised to see tomatillos at Produce Depot this spring for only $1.99/lb - a bargain, yes?
What I had cooling tonight was homemade Jamaican beef patties - served them with some mango chutney and hot sauce with a Tree IPA chaser.
What I had cooling tonight was homemade Jamaican beef patties - served them with some mango chutney and hot sauce with a Tree IPA chaser.
2013 Apr 25
@ Momomoto. I used the recipe from How to Grill with a few modifications. Can't find it online. This is close.
www.inspiredtaste.net
I went with water instead of chicken stock and left out lime increased the garlic and onion and roasted everything before processing. Also used three jalapenos, one and a half with seeds included for a bit of kick. I gave it a 10 minute cook on medium as well.
www.inspiredtaste.net
I went with water instead of chicken stock and left out lime increased the garlic and onion and roasted everything before processing. Also used three jalapenos, one and a half with seeds included for a bit of kick. I gave it a 10 minute cook on medium as well.
2013 Apr 26
Rizak may be right, Momo; I know sometimes in my haste I reach for the green bottle of lime juice and discover a soapy taste in my food...always turns out to be the Dawn I grabbed by mistake.
If you don`t use green Dawn maybe you added some cilantro to your salsa - some people find it tastes kinda soapy, like the gum I used to love, Thrills! If you love thrills you gotta love cilantro, yes?
If you don`t use green Dawn maybe you added some cilantro to your salsa - some people find it tastes kinda soapy, like the gum I used to love, Thrills! If you love thrills you gotta love cilantro, yes?
2013 May 1
So lately I've been into baking.
I made another sponge cake, but this time I made a dark chocolate custard to be topped with whipped cream before serving with lots of strawberries in and on it.
I also made a decorated swiss roll filled with a mango infused whipped cream!
Very happy with how it came out! Polka dots are just so cute!
also been trying to do some latte art. I can't do rosettas or the ones that require you to quickly sway the "crema" to make the pattern.
youtube can't teach me to do that right.
so I've only done simple designs.
also included, one small dog looking for dropped food... haha
I made another sponge cake, but this time I made a dark chocolate custard to be topped with whipped cream before serving with lots of strawberries in and on it.
I also made a decorated swiss roll filled with a mango infused whipped cream!
Very happy with how it came out! Polka dots are just so cute!
also been trying to do some latte art. I can't do rosettas or the ones that require you to quickly sway the "crema" to make the pattern.
youtube can't teach me to do that right.
so I've only done simple designs.
also included, one small dog looking for dropped food... haha
2013 May 4
Carne asada tacos for lunch today. Grilled sirloin, thinly sliced and mixed with my thick, grilled tomatillo salsa, topped with onion, green onion from the garden, cilantro, avocado and tomato, all topped with a squeeze of lime juice and some chipotle hot sauce. All on homemade corn tortilla. All good!
2013 Jun 14
Is this thread winding down? are people just cooking less or not taking pictures anymore? Is this thread taking too long to open? Time for a last kick at the can?
Last night's dinner: pizza, made using refashionista's very good pizza dough with dark rye, topped with Mediterranean goat cheese with mixed with lemon, sherry and smoked Spanish hot pimenton, plus chorizo, olives, peppers and asparagus and topped with some dried ground Spanish Padron peppers for a bit of peppery zing.
Last night's dinner: pizza, made using refashionista's very good pizza dough with dark rye, topped with Mediterranean goat cheese with mixed with lemon, sherry and smoked Spanish hot pimenton, plus chorizo, olives, peppers and asparagus and topped with some dried ground Spanish Padron peppers for a bit of peppery zing.
2013 Jun 14
I post this for all the snickers and guffaws that these muffins regularly receive when I tell people they are Prune Muffins. Oh well, I like my prune muffins. Let them eat a Timmies' muffin and drink a doubledouble! I'll enjoy my cup of Ugandan Bugisu and a prune muffin...go ahead and enjoy your snicker or guffaw...
2013 Jun 14
Andy Thanks for reviving this thread. I do not have a smart phone/DSLR but enjoy seeing the lovely photos everyone has been posting!
As for the ancho peppers you used in your quinoa salada - aren't they dried poblanos?...
As for those muffins they look delicious! What time is breakfast?-;)
As for the ancho peppers you used in your quinoa salada - aren't they dried poblanos?...
As for those muffins they look delicious! What time is breakfast?-;)
2013 Jun 14
Pastalover, technically they are poblanos so technically I'm wrong again. I've been referring to them all winter as anchos cause that's what I've been using, my dried anchos. Nice to have a fresh poblano taste in my salad.
So, you like prunes - thumbs up! And thanks.
blubarry, here's the basic rec: www.food.com
I made some changes like replacing some of the flour with Red Fife whole wheat flour, replacing the white sugar with dark brown, adding in nuts (walnuts this time - the nut that gets just a little bit more respect than prunes), and sprinkling the top with coconut palm sugar and cinnamon before baking rather than dipping in butter and cinnamon sugar. There is also some cinnamon (and sour cream) in the muffins for more flavour. I also add about 1/4 cup of milk as the dough is very thick and could add a bit more than that but never have. They are dense muffins that don't rise much and are best eaten with a coffee, tea or glass of milk as they are rib-sticking little cakes. And tasty! The original recipe is good too, btw.
Thumbs up and thanks!
So, you like prunes - thumbs up! And thanks.
blubarry, here's the basic rec: www.food.com
I made some changes like replacing some of the flour with Red Fife whole wheat flour, replacing the white sugar with dark brown, adding in nuts (walnuts this time - the nut that gets just a little bit more respect than prunes), and sprinkling the top with coconut palm sugar and cinnamon before baking rather than dipping in butter and cinnamon sugar. There is also some cinnamon (and sour cream) in the muffins for more flavour. I also add about 1/4 cup of milk as the dough is very thick and could add a bit more than that but never have. They are dense muffins that don't rise much and are best eaten with a coffee, tea or glass of milk as they are rib-sticking little cakes. And tasty! The original recipe is good too, btw.
Thumbs up and thanks!
2013 Jun 14
Better hurry then Caperbeachgal; happy hour starts in an hour and we'll be eating guacamole and salsa and corn chips til we're full (although there might be a few prune muffins left for dessert). Head out to Mountain - we're in the house beside the field of spring wheat blowing in the wind and sun! We'd be happy to have someone with a bit of CB in their blood visit.
And thanks, you're too kind. I love to eat at other people's houses (yours included), even if it's just what we're having tonight with our beer and G&T's.
Cheers!
And thanks, you're too kind. I love to eat at other people's houses (yours included), even if it's just what we're having tonight with our beer and G&T's.
Cheers!
2013 Jun 21
I had some pizza dough in the freezer, leftover from a week ago, and for some reason got a hankering for an Indonesian pizza??? Never heard of one but it gave me an excuse to make some satay sauce. So I topped the dough with that and some grated mozzarella, then added some leftover cooked chicken I had marinated in satay sauce and spices, some onion, red peppers, carrots, and mango, then baked it. When done I topped it with fresh coriander, roasted peanuts, toasted coconut, and squeezed some lime juice over it and the we ate it. Yum. Very tasty.
My dw said it was like eating a stir fry on a pizza crust.
My dw said it was like eating a stir fry on a pizza crust.
2013 Jun 21
Andy and FT - first looks awesome, second pretty sure you could make a mean butter chicken pizza as described. I've also done a pretty yummy, but hugely caloric pulled pork pizza. Cheese, pulled pork, bell peppers, some hot peppers (or better yet home made smoked poblano salsa), onions and topped with cilantro.
2013 Jun 21
Oh ya, FT, butter chicken pizza - on naan or pizza dough - sounds good to me.
Sourdough, pulled pork pizza? Well now you're talking. We had pulled pork last night on some of Moomie's buns, tonight leftover Greek burgers on the leftover Moomie's buns, so I gotta do something with the leftover pulled pork tomorrow. I was thinking of maybe of putting it on some pupusa as I've done before but you may have inspired me! Thanks.
Sourdough, pulled pork pizza? Well now you're talking. We had pulled pork last night on some of Moomie's buns, tonight leftover Greek burgers on the leftover Moomie's buns, so I gotta do something with the leftover pulled pork tomorrow. I was thinking of maybe of putting it on some pupusa as I've done before but you may have inspired me! Thanks.
2013 Jun 23
With the heat finally here it was time for a batch of Raspado de Sandia y Frambuesa.
www.rickbayless.com
Not being a big sugar fan I cut the sugar in half added a bit more lime juice and watermelon and mira aqui!
www.rickbayless.com
Not being a big sugar fan I cut the sugar in half added a bit more lime juice and watermelon and mira aqui!
2013 Jun 28
This pic just got my mouth watering all over again for that bbq'd Greek burger on a toasted Moomie's bun with evelyn/athen's world famous tzatziki, tomato, onions, sheep feta and arugula - my wife didn't like this pic, too messy, but I remember it for the entry bite which was indeed memorable. The oversize bun makes for less messy eating as you finish your burger.
2013 Jun 28
Thanks for the suggestion above, sourdough! This is the pulled pork pizza I made. I formed the crust, brushed with oil, spooned my bbq sauce on, covered with mozz. cheese, then pulled pork, onions, peppers and asparagus, drizzled some more bbq sauce over top and baked. My wife said "Well, this is a goood way to eat pulled pork!" I more than second her opinion.
2013 Aug 23
About once a week I try to make a new dish using a recipe I have in a cookbook or pinned from Pinterest. This creation was a Pinterest offering and it was heavenly. I greatly preferred the panko crumbs to traditional breadcrumbs.
Edit: I'd add a link to the recipe but I'm not too sure how to do it on here. The help section just mentions linking to vendors and food on the forum.
Edit: I'd add a link to the recipe but I'm not too sure how to do it on here. The help section just mentions linking to vendors and food on the forum.
2013 Aug 25
aisu...the trick is to use the tiny wild blueberries. I cook a cup of them with sugar and cornstarch, lemon juice and grand marnier. Then I chill that for about an hour, and just before serving I mix in 3 cups of fresh uncooked blueberries and put them in the shell. I find that using them raw gives a lot of flavour.
2013 Aug 25
theup: Linking to the recipes can be done just by pasting the URL into the text box. I don't remember if HTML tags work, but the URL will be there all the same.
blubarry: I've heard that pearl tapioca really works well as a thickener, too, but I don't remember from whom I heard it (America's Test Kitchen or Alton Brown, probably?)
blubarry: I've heard that pearl tapioca really works well as a thickener, too, but I don't remember from whom I heard it (America's Test Kitchen or Alton Brown, probably?)
2013 Oct 14
I made my first soup this weekend: Roasted butternut squash (with celery, onion, veggie broth, pepper and sage).
I was quite proud.
Recipe: www.tasteofhome.com
I was quite proud.
Recipe: www.tasteofhome.com
2013 Oct 19
I posted the recipe for this salad or a simpler version of this here > Forum - Simple recipes for a crowd#new. Chicken and bacon tortellini with a whole bunch of garden greens 'n stuff from the garden this afternoon, Oct 19, 2013: spinach, mustard, kale, Swiss chard, arugula, cos lettuce, sorrel, and garlic, green onions, zucchini, tomatoes, tomatillo, 3 kinds of peppers, and peas (the last of my second planting of peas - they were awesome this fall!). Also on there are Kalamatas, feta, smoked gouda, etc. - things I haven't yet learned to grow.
Dw and I enjoyed it all immensely, knowing that the end is near.
Dw and I enjoyed it all immensely, knowing that the end is near.
2013 Oct 29
Thanks Francis.
A tomatillo chili cornbread cobbler.
Made tomatillo chili for dinner last night (inspired by this rec: food52.com) using up some of the last tomatillo picked before the weekend and tonight I used most of the leftover chili to make a version of this rec: www.epicurious.com which I have made various versions of for half a doz. years. I love putting the cornbread on top of the hot chili and baking it.
My dw practically sang out its praises!
A tomatillo chili cornbread cobbler.
Made tomatillo chili for dinner last night (inspired by this rec: food52.com) using up some of the last tomatillo picked before the weekend and tonight I used most of the leftover chili to make a version of this rec: www.epicurious.com which I have made various versions of for half a doz. years. I love putting the cornbread on top of the hot chili and baking it.
My dw practically sang out its praises!
2013 Nov 4
My daughter started her own food blog (with a bit of help), here is her latest entry
nibblenibblechompclick.blogspot.ca
Shameless plug from proud dad.
nibblenibblechompclick.blogspot.ca
Shameless plug from proud dad.
2013 Nov 4
Forgot to take pictures but Sausage Kitchen Marguez with Moroccan vegetable stew with 7 vegetables (onion, fennel, turnip, parsnip, carrots, sweet potatoes, zucchini) and chick peas on couscous.
Wish I can find good Couscous Royal in Ottawa. May have to buy some lamb shoulder and chicken and do it myself.
Wish I can find good Couscous Royal in Ottawa. May have to buy some lamb shoulder and chicken and do it myself.
2013 Nov 10
Cooked up a couple of favourite eats this week: these are beets, Beet and Coriander Puree from Rosso & Lukins "The New Basics". I make them once a year, every fall, and freeze them for use when needed. They are surprisingly good to me and are a tasty way to use up 6 lb of the beets (usually pretty big ones) in the fall garden. They are so good to pull out of the freezer throughout the year to enjoy the flavours and colour with a variety of dishes. I leave 'em a little bit chunky as I like a little texture. A great use for some of that home-grown coriander seed. (contains ground seed, no fresh coriander leaves btw).
2013 Nov 10
and these are some Chive and Onion Twists I made this afternoon. I used green onions in place of the chives as I still have them in the garden (the chives have suffered with the repeated frosts). I flavoured the filling with butter, onion, green onion, pecorino romano, hot curry powder, and kalongi. A lovely appy, with the recipe coming from a posting at Gail's Recipe Swap years ago by Keith from the Isle of Man. Yum!
2013 Dec 8
These Apple Pie Cookies (recipe from smitten kitchen) look good but I don't know how they taste - I can only imagine because they all got eaten before I could grab one at a party we had last weekend. Will make again and will try them! My dd says they are also good made with raspberries or blueberries or... Imagine that.
2013 Dec 14
Looking good Andy! Tried my hand a baking helping with the Christmas bake.Started with toasting pecans,walnuts,almonds them mixing them into a candy brittle then topping with bitter sweet chocolate and dusting with regular and smoked sea salt. Have to wait till they cool before breaking up and trying.
2013 Dec 14
Hey Ken, can Christmas baking be food porn? Something just doesn't seem right about that thought!
SO how was the chocolate nut brittle? Rhetorical question - it was great, no doubt about it, eh?!
So here's an old Xmas fave of mine, food porn or not I love 'em. Little spicy ginger cookies called Hottendots. They are about the size of a quarter; I used to make them smaller, the size of a penny, trying to compete with all those Oma's back in the old countries, but I can't beat them for the tiniest Hottendots in town. Pic is of today's crispy/chewy cookies. One recipe makes 15 dozen or more.
SO how was the chocolate nut brittle? Rhetorical question - it was great, no doubt about it, eh?!
So here's an old Xmas fave of mine, food porn or not I love 'em. Little spicy ginger cookies called Hottendots. They are about the size of a quarter; I used to make them smaller, the size of a penny, trying to compete with all those Oma's back in the old countries, but I can't beat them for the tiniest Hottendots in town. Pic is of today's crispy/chewy cookies. One recipe makes 15 dozen or more.
2013 Dec 15
I'm a pretty novice cook, and this is the second time I've made mac & cheese using real ingredients (not from a box). I found the recipe (cooking-in-college.com) on Pinterest, and I try to make at least one thing a week from the recipes I pin.
In this recipe you cook the noodles in the milk, so it reduces and makes a sauce once you add the cheese. I added to the recipe baking it in the oven with some sprinkled cheese, bread crumbs and Italian seasoning on top. Next time I think I will use Panko bread crumbs to add more texture.
In this recipe you cook the noodles in the milk, so it reduces and makes a sauce once you add the cheese. I added to the recipe baking it in the oven with some sprinkled cheese, bread crumbs and Italian seasoning on top. Next time I think I will use Panko bread crumbs to add more texture.
2013 Dec 15
Okay, this is olde-timey porn. The kind that you used to have to read, not dependent on pictures or video. Though, pics may come later.
This is something I'm planning to make for the last F.O.O.D. Show of the year.
VANILLA WHISKY SALTED CHOCOLATE BACON DELIGHT
Thick cut bacon, soaked in Wiser's vanilla flavoured whisky, then baked in the oven until crispy, one edge coated in a lovely strip of milk chocolate, and dusted with a touch of smoked salt. I almost had a heart attack just writing that.
I think dark chocolate might be better, but don't have any just now. I may go get some.
This is something I'm planning to make for the last F.O.O.D. Show of the year.
VANILLA WHISKY SALTED CHOCOLATE BACON DELIGHT
Thick cut bacon, soaked in Wiser's vanilla flavoured whisky, then baked in the oven until crispy, one edge coated in a lovely strip of milk chocolate, and dusted with a touch of smoked salt. I almost had a heart attack just writing that.
I think dark chocolate might be better, but don't have any just now. I may go get some.
2013 Dec 20
I've changed the name to PIG CANDY. Much easier to remember, and to type.
So good.
Okay, I went out and got a brick of Callebaut bittersweet chocolate to edge the bacon with and it is just gorgeous. You don't really want any more than that.
I think this is almost as good as the bacon cinnamon buns. Nothing can compete with that, though.
So good.
Okay, I went out and got a brick of Callebaut bittersweet chocolate to edge the bacon with and it is just gorgeous. You don't really want any more than that.
I think this is almost as good as the bacon cinnamon buns. Nothing can compete with that, though.
2013 Dec 26
Christmas breakfast was maple glazed pepper bacon with apricot french toast casserole. The french toast was completely awesome, and the recipe is here: www.finecooking.com
2013 Dec 28
I made my first shepherd's pie on Boxing Day. I found the recipe online (menumusings.blogspot.ca), and modified it slightly (more beef stock, no wine, no frozen peas, sub thyme for Italian seasoning). I loved it! It was one of the best things I have ever made. It took about 2 hours to make, which I think has a lot to do with my novice cooking skills, but it was so worth it in the end. It was wonderfully seasoned and I couldn't eat enough. I really loved the fact that it didn't require any of those club house/St. Hubert mixes. You can see in the picture that some of the sauce oozed up the top, so I think next time I'll have the meat sauce portion reduce a bit more.
2013 Dec 31
Made these garlic parmesan pull-apart rolls a couple of nights ago! I used the recipe here (www.melissassouthernstylekitchen.com), but modified it to use Pillsbury flakey rolls instead of frozen dinner roll dough. Reason 1: Couldn't find frozen dinner roll dough. Reason 2: I didn't have over 2 hours to watch it rise + the 30/40 minutes for it to thaw.
They were a HUGE success! They reminded me of the bread at Jack Astors. I did find, though, that they were on the salty side, so I may either use unsalted butter, or omit the additional salt.
They were a HUGE success! They reminded me of the bread at Jack Astors. I did find, though, that they were on the salty side, so I may either use unsalted butter, or omit the additional salt.
2014 Jan 6
Tacos with pulled pork on Beer Corn Tortillas, yup, that's right, beer tortillas. I replaced the water in the tortillas with Schneider Weisse. I was given a cookbook for Xmas from friends south of the border and the recipe is in there. The Craft Beer Cookbook by Jacquelyn Dodd, a craft beer lover who has a very beery recipe blog that has lots more good ideas for cooking with beer thebeeroness.com/. I don't have a lot of wheat beers in the cold room and I was tempted to use a Coup Grisou buckwheat beer, one I quite like for it's unique flavours. The beer tortillas have a great smell and really good flavours with that wonderful masa flavour and smell and that Weisse character mixed in.
They'll be on the menu when The Captain and I open up our taco stand!
They'll be on the menu when The Captain and I open up our taco stand!
2014 Jan 7
So what do you do with leftover beer corn tortillas? Glad you asked.
You make tortilla soup, full of cut up tortilla, topped with fried tortilla strips and some good sour cream, and made with Xmas turkey and stock from the freezer. My kind of comfort food, richly flavoured and filling, and oh-so-good on a cold and windy winter's night.
You make tortilla soup, full of cut up tortilla, topped with fried tortilla strips and some good sour cream, and made with Xmas turkey and stock from the freezer. My kind of comfort food, richly flavoured and filling, and oh-so-good on a cold and windy winter's night.
Captain Caper
Let's define Amateur Food Porn as pictures (or videos) taken by ourselves of our own foodie creations, and not what we a see in restaurants etc. (Some OF foodies already do that in the Buzz section.)
And lets' say the photographer can be pro but ... please NO
- preping the food for the shot e.g. misting, fake steam, wax sprays etc
- no photoshoping ... lets' keep it raw (like real amateur porn)
Here is my first entry.
Stirfry Szechwan beef with mixed vegatbles and black bean (四川牛肉豉混合蔬菜)