A Traditional Hungarian Dinner

Christmas celebration #4 this year was at my Uncle Andrew and Aunt Julie's place. Julie made nokedli, and she let me photograph her in front of the blazing (only a minor exaggeration) stove while she cooked for our family and friends.

Nokedli is a hungarian dumpling dish that was, this evening, served with a beef sauce or pork sauerkraut. It begins as dough:

which is "grated" using a traditional hungarian cooking tool, over a large pot of boiling water until it cooks.

Served with a delicious cucumber salad, pickles, and bread, it was a delicious meal!

When asked her favourite food, my cousin Emma proudly answered, "nokedli!" That's the Hungarian in her coming out. Here we are enjoying the festivities:

I love Christmas--Canadian or Hungarian style.

Homemade Quiznos Sub

I have this thing for Quiznos. (If you do too, you're gonna love this).

For a really long time I was a Subway girl, but then I found Quiznos and I've never been able to go back to my old stomping ground. There is just something about the toasty bread, yummy sauces, and delectable flavor varieties which is somehow, so much better at Quiznos. (Sorry Subway...)

Anyway, this isn't an endorsement for Quiznos (you can send me my cheque later), because I don't do that sort of thing. I'm more into revealing the secrets to my favourite foods so that we all can save money by making these things at home! Muah ha ha!

This one is brilliant, if I do say so myself. And super simple. Start by finding a delicious loaf like the one you see pictured. It is an oat/seed/raisin variety that I found at Wall Mart. (Again, you can send me my cheque later). Cut it open just the way you like it; all the way through, like a pocket, whichever. Top it with mayo, a sliced deli meat like ham or turkey, a slice of swiss or provolone cheese AND (drum roll please)...a few shakes of italian spices. This makes it. I have a blend which has oregano and basil and it tastes just like the one from Quiznos. It's kind of weird that they thought to throw this onto a sandwich, but they knew what they we're doing!

Pop the sandwich under the broiler for a minute or two, and then top with your favourite toppings: lettuce, tomato, etc. One final tip, also add some cranberry sauce or sweet jam to your sandwich, and the sweetness will go really well with the salty meats.

And there you have it, a homemade Quiznos sub! I hope you find it as satisfying to make as home as I do.

Lunch for about $1.50

Because I often struggle to think of easy, easy lunches which are cost effective (WHICH ARE NOT SANDWICHES), I thought I would note one lunch option which I quite enjoyed recently. Cost effective, delicious, on the go, and yummy! I'll break it down for you:

Step 1: Bake a potato--sweet or regular, the night before you need it for lunch. (Or cook one extra at dinner, or the morning of if you're daring).

Step 2: Put a slit through the potato now so that you don't need a knife at lunch time. Pack baked potato in cute, handy-dandy dish.

Step 3: At lunch time, stop at local Wendy's and buy a small chili. Ask for sour cream on the side if you wish.

Step 4: Smother baked potato with chili and sour cream.

Step 5: Eat and smile. Eat and smile.

You can always make the chili at home if you want, but sometimes you just can't. You know?

Image Courtesy of http://www.jennyslunchline.com/rcadmin/cartpics/377-1.jpg

DAVIDsTEA

I would like to introduce you to a lovely little store that I stumbled across today.

The names Tea, DAVIDsTEA...


And oh my goodness I'm in love.

For those of you who have never been, let me just paint a little picture for you:

Imagine, every kind of tea you can think of, all stored in silver streamlined containers, awaiting your sniffer. (That's right, your nose!) Each tea, seasonal, and traditional, is available for a good smell. You can capture the essence of these teas in one wiff, believe me. The robust fragrances reveal exactly what is hidden in each tea. There are no pathetic tea fillers here! Everything is so rich and bright, that you will have no idea your only smelling tea. As the fragrance fills your body you can almost taste the aromas. The seasonal maple, cinnamon, and fruity teas all smell like fresh desert, and promise to taste just as good. (Minus the calories!)

If that doesn't make you want to check out DAVIDsTEA, then you must not be a tea drinker. Or you're bonkers. I had about 20 different teas out on the counter, narrowing down the choices; they all smelled so amazing! And honestly, after drinking a glass of my final selection: "Secret Weapon" white tea, I can honestly say that the tea tastes like it smells.

Check out the description of it:

Kick-start your immune system

This blend just might give you the edge you need to stay healthy this fall. It’s a white Bai Mu Dan, so it’s naturally high in immunity-enhancing antioxidants. Plus it contains licorice and goji berries, a Chinese wonderfood reputed to have 500 times more vitamin C than oranges. The best part? The almonds and cocoa nibs. They don’t fight colds, but they make this an amazingly tasty weapon of choice.

Also available at DAVIDsTEA, are mugs, infusers, tea pots, and more. I bought a really adorable, sage colored mug that came with an awesome infuser. I can keep the infuser to use over a tea pot, or just place it over the mug, and voila-- tea time!

Safe to say, no more Starbucks for me!
Click here to find a DAVIDsTEA near you! (Or order online.)

Photos all courtesy of http://www.davidstea.com/

The Verdict on Irish Cuisine

I am happy to announce that the verdict is in on Irish cusine, and...it's lookin' good for the Guinness lovin' folk!

It is a different world over there in Ireland. Full of rolling green hills, sheep grazing, cows walking on the roads, castles, right side driving (so weird!), photo opps, cliffs with beautiful ocean views, and as I was delighted to discover...delicious food!

My family and friends and I (6 people all together), didn't have one bad meal the entire time we were there!

We had anything from meat and potatoes to salmon with a white wine and butter sauce because the cuisine was so varied all over the island. And it was all seriously good.

But don't just take my word for it. For the past 8 days I have been that loser (connaseur?) at the restaurant who takes pictures of all of her food. Just because I know that a picture speaks a thousand words, and I really wanted to give some great recommendations just in case you ever find yourself in Ireland.

Something important to note, is that most of the places we ate in, received either high recommendations in travel books or through word of mouth. This is the best way to guarantee good bang for your buck. And when you are traveling on a budget (especially when the exchange rate is really brutal), you need to think ahead. At least most of the time! There is always room for impulse when it comes to eating out :)

One of my favourite eats was not all that expensive. In the heart of Belfast was a little cafe called DeanesDeli.

I had a local roast chicken sandwich with sun blushed tomato, baby leaves, and sweet paprika mayo. Just the name makes my mouth water.

I may or may not bring out a recipe that imitates this delightful sammich :)

And I had tomato soup with wheaten bread. (Wheaten is pretty much whole wheat, but it kinda tastes like savory banana bread.)

Along with the really yummy entrees, Deanes had some really appealing deserts. I had an apple cinnamon scone which tasted like a cross between a scone and a danish-- so delightful.


I thought this was really cute:

It's a clock that tells you which meal you can indulge in, according to that time of day.

The restaurant Nirvana was our first official stop.


I had something called pan fried 'John Dory.' I had no idea what it was when I saw it on the menu, but the waiter explained that it was dish featuring white fish. After dinner we saw a store called 'John Dory,' and then saw the name appear on quite a few more menus throughout Ireland. Turns out John Dory was a pretty important guy!

But either way, it was really yummy. The fish, we guessed, was cod, and it was served with braised fennel, crushed potato, and butter sauce. The potatoes in Ireland were out of this world. They had a subtle sweetness that we don't have over here in Canada. I was tempted to bring a bag home in my suit case, but I didn't have room :(

Continuing on in true Canadian fashion, I ordered more seafood the next night (at the Malin Hotel)! Salmon this time, with a white wine sauce. (I'm sorry that this photo does not do the dish justice! I left my good camera at home in the hopes that a little point and shoot would be good enough. Oh bother.)

Here I am at the same restaurant enjoying water out of a huge wine glass. Why not, I said!

Desert was banoffee. We had guesses as to what in the world it might turn out looking like, but in the end:

It was banana and toffee. Not to worry, this is 1/2 of a serving (the other half I shared with my dad), the Irish are not that stingy. Not at all in fact. The meal was only 20 euros and that included appetizers, a main, and desert. Not half bad at all!

My final restaurant of note for this post, which could be so much longer if I went into enormous depth, is Nick's Warehouse in Dublin. They use only fresh, seasonal ingredients, so you can guarantee a great meal here.

We started out with a bread basket which had fresh baked bread (made on site), and muffins. Along with the bread came 3 oils for dipping.

I had free-range chicken with pomegranate cous cous. De-lish!


AND for desert, white chocolate mouse with raspberry puree. Sigh. I would go back to Ireland just to have it again!

Ireland is famous for their whiskey from Bushmills Distillery:

I tried it, and it wasn't half bad! Felt like I had fire in my mouth but...yeah not bad.

And the tea is not half bad either.

But what post on Irish cuisine would be complete without mentioning Guinness? So here you go:

Your welcome:)

P.S. Don't tell, but I actually didn't like it very much. However I am no judge because I don't like beer.

So there you have it! The highlights of my week in Ireland, featuring the most delectable part of the my trip. I would definitely encourage you to see this beautiful island if you ever get the chance. It is full of culture and despite my first assumption, yummy food!

Camp Food (AKA what I have eaten the past 3 weeks)

Welcome to the world of almost all white flour, frozen and then cooked for 350 people, possibly refined in places, sweet and salty, made with love and care despite any other preconceptions, refills abounding, stacked on plastic colourful trays, and energy to serve an entire camp, food.

That is in a nutshell, camp food. The delicacy that I so enjoy, privileged as I am, each summer that I work at camp.

9 weeks straight of eating the same food, in the same order...you always know what's coming next.

Food becomes a trademark of camp. You work here, then you have to eat the food, and you better like it because it's coming in bounds and you ain't escaping to Subway for your dinner! No sir.

Monday means ham, and usually a few unhappy staff members. (Apparently the ham has received a bad rep over the years but I am one of the few that really don't mind it!)

Tuesday means hamburgers and spaghetti...two really great combinations for all. Not so easy to cook Tuesday meals, but...they are so well received that it is worth the effort.

Wednesday means chicken burgers and tacos...and the list for the week goes on. You learn to depend on it because, honestly, it is one of the most consistent things you can find at camp. The weather in never predictable, your cabin may be really tough, and you may find yourselfbecoming a carrier of the camp flu. But the food, that stays (for the most part) the same.

One morning when breakfast was supposed to be muffins but instead was waffles, some counselors complained that it had messed up their digestive pattern. (If that gives you any indication of our dependence on a concrete menu).

A select few staff members have the time and money to pack their own frozen entrees, but those people are few and far between.

Frankly, I enjoy the food served at camp and have made it my mission to eat the food they serve. I am blessed as it is to be at camp, and the food just completes the experience.

As of now I am 3 weeks in, and I'm still craving it. So bring on the camp food!

Care to take a peek into the life we live at camp?

We dress up for dinner in crazy clothes (depending on the theme of the day) like this:

Music DayAnd we have Superhero Day


And, uh yeah, we are normal sometimes...

...See!

Going back in Time--St. Jacobs Style!

Leah and I went on a full-out day trip today! Destination: St. Jacobs, Ontario.

I know, it's not very glamorous, but what can I say? Not everyone needs a trip to a big city to have some big fun! We certainly have found this to be true, and headed out this morning for our very exciting, freedom filled, youth capturing, day trip.

But I must say, St. Jacob's has a bit of a reputation.

Here's a hint:Can you see that sign there? It says 'CAUTION: Horse and Buggy crossing'. Yes indeed, we stepped back in time on this rainy summer day.

St. Jacobs is known for being an area with a high Mennonite/Amish community, and I find it all very fascinating! I promise you that we did not go to poke fun at the people, but rather share in their culture, eat some amazing home-cooked food, and maaaaybe take a few pictures.

Because how often do you get to see this??

If you live near me, then the answer is: never.

Despite the misty rain we (eventually) found our way to the 'downtown' of St. Jacobs which is home to cute antique and quilt shops, bakeries, upper range clothing boutiques, and the like. Leah and I wandered around, up and down the main strip browsing clothing we couldn't afford, and eventually ended up at a huge bakery, which I am sorry to say I don't remember the name of.

The front area of the bakery were you could browse their various pasteries was fairly small, but behind that was a ginormous kitchen. It was something out of a story book, (My kind of fairy tale anyway), complete with large convection ovens and lots of mothers and daughters working away, filling the bakery with goodies that smelled like cinnamon and apples.

It was this very smell that drew Leah and I to the oh-so gooey pie like treats they had to offer. There were large cookie trays filled with beautiful Dutch apple pie that Leah went for...


...and my personal choice, strawberry rhubarb and custard pie tarts...

...pretty much the yummiest thing I have ever tasted in St. Jacobs.

If you will allow me to indulge your for a moment with a description of this treat, I will surely convince you to check this place out. (Even if I can't remember the name of the store and you don't live anywhere near Ontario)! The rhubarb was slightly sour but it worked so well with the fresh strawberries and custard fillings. I could tell that the flavors had been marrying for the whole day atleast, because they went so well together! The crumble was light but very satisfying. It didn't fall apart completely and tasted like...yummy.

I'm running out of creative words to use to describe it, so you best go and check it out for yourself!

Day trips are fun, period. But when you get to enjoy time with close friends and share in life's simple pleasures, like our yummy deserts, it makes it that much more special. I encourage you to find a local market or sister community near by that has a new culture, food specialization, or what have you. Go and experience something new, and bring a friend along for the trip!

un petit French Inspired lunch

I had such a fantastic lunch today! A spur of the moment trip with Leah to the local market provided some French inspired cuisine. Leah, who spent a good chunk of last year in France had the brilliant idea to dine on cheese. We pretty much did exactly that.

The cheese selection was ginormous, but we narrowed it down to two fabulous varieties: Triple Cream (from Quebec) and 10 year old Cheddar (Canadian Cheddar). Yes, you read that right, 10 year old cheese. How in the world they make it taste so good, I will never know.

The oldest cheese I had tried before today was about 6 years old. (I prefer the aged cheddar, so that is what I stick to most of the time.) Anyone who has tried it can testify to its bold flavor. We were both very excited to try the 10 year old variety, and were not disappointed. I believe the first thing I said after putting the cheese in my mouth was, "Oh my gosh! It's sooooo good."

It really was.

Some of the comments made regarding the cheddar were:
"Its like an explosion of flavor!"
"I have never tasted the care and time that went into making cheese before now!"
"Everything good about cheddar is just cranked up to a whole new level."
"I can never go back to the mild cheese now."

As for the Quebec cheese, Triple Cream, it was actually just as tasty, but in a different way. Triple cream is, as its name suggests, creamy. Leah said it tasted like a really soft, whipped, much tastier butter. You get the feeling that you are eating a soft cream cheese, but the delicate flavor is not heavy. On the contrary, you can savor it like any hard cheese. It won't melt away like butter, and it doesn't feel heavy like cream cheese. It is also comparable to Camembert and Brie.

Some of the commentary for Triple Cream:
"Sooo good."
"That big chunk we had? (About the size of a deck of cards) That would be enough for maybe 3 or 4 bites in France."
"It's such a delicate flavor."

But of course (wo)man cannot live on cheese alone! No sir.

To go with our cheese we bought 2 ciabatta buns, red grapes (which were the perfect fruit to munch between bites of cheese), AND a pot of Scottish Breakfast tea. I guess the tea was not quite consistent with the theme, but it was calling our names anyway!

If you have never had a French style lunch before (I hadn't), you should try it the next time you have three hours to spare. You can't do it in any less time and actually be authentic;)

Images courtesy of http://www.igourmet.com/images/productsLG/150delicedargental.jpg and http://www.visitingdc.com/paris/eiffel-tower-paris-france.asp

Kokkino Restaurant and Lounge

Have you ever become so into a television show that you actually go visit the set or pretend that you are apart of the cast?

I haven't.

Well partially. Ok, maybe I have done something like that -- but it's not as sad as it sounds!

I'll explain. Food Network's show Restaurant Makeover is often filmed close to where I live. The restaurants featured, which are gutted, re-designed, and eventually fabulous (given rave reviews by critics), are just a subway ride away!

Do you know that feeling you get when watching a really yummy dish being prepared on TV, and you wish desperately that it was being cooked for you? Well I get that all the time! And after watching a restaurant being re-done by famous designers and chefs (like Lynn Crawford- Executive Chef at the Four Seasons), drooling over the cuisine, and keeping in mind that it is technically not that far from me, I can't help but want to visit the "set."

My fabulous, cooking savvy friend Genevieve, feels the exact same way. We occasionally go out on dinner dates with the intention of trying these re-invented restaurants. Personally, I really enjoy the fact that the restaurant has so much history. It was destined for failure, and then Restaurant Makeover came in and re-vamped the place. In a way, I am like a critic who comes in to judge whether the makeover was a success or not.


Yesterday, Genevieve and I visited Kokkino Restaurant and Lounge, which was located in a fabulous Greek area of Toronto (complete with bakeries, candy shops, cooking stores-which we found ourselves in for quite a while, and local grocers). We both decided to order something that we couldn't make at home; like lamb souvlaki. It was de-licious! Very tender, and served with rice, fresh green beans sauteed with tomatoes and garlic, tatzikki sauce, and pita bread. There was also a swirl of balsamic concentrate/syrup on the side to dress the plate. How classy is that?!


Unfortunately it wasn't until our plates were 1/2 empty that we realized that this meal would have been a great topic on my blog, and that a picture of the entrees would have topped off the cake. Alas, I had not thought ahead and left my camera at home.

I took a mental picture...if that counts?

Anyway, I decided to introduce my version of restaurant critiquing to the blog world without the picture, because a meal like we had deserves some publicity.

For a virtually empty restaurant we didn't recieve the best service, but the food tasted like fancy, home made, deliciousness. However if I go back to the area, I will definitely check out the other Greek resturants down the road which were packed full of locals. (A buzzing restaurant is always a good sign).

Images are courtesy of http://www.foodtv.ca and http://www.kokkinolounge.com/