Roasted Garlic

A few years ago, I went out for Pho with a friend. She picked out the sliced onions out of the soup onto the discard plate. I grabbed it and put it into my soup. The onion slices is the best part! I love anything that makes my breath smell. lol She told me my love for stinky breath food will change when I have a boyfriend. The same thing was said to me about having my boyfriend hold my purse. Now, two years into my relationship...I still love to eat stinky breath food and I hold my own purse.



I had some friends over for dinner this past weekend. I made the Haddock recipe I blogged about. I wasn't sure what I should make for appetizer. I thought about making seafood papillotte, but decided it might be expensive to buy shrimp and scallop. And I didn't want to overload my guests on seafood. I remembered my co-worker Mary talking about roasting garlic and spreading it on french baguette with butter. It was so delicious! It's really not as garlicky as you would expect, but it does give you that wonderful garlic breath.

• Head of garlic
• Olive oil
• Fresh cracker pepper
• Salt

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Cut the garlic head to reveal the garlic cloves
3. Drizzle Olive Oil on top of the garlic
4. Sprinkle with pepper and salt
5. Wrap it in aluminium foil, place it on a baking sheet.
6. Bake for 40-45 min.

I served the garlic heads on the table and let them scoop out the cloves with their butter knives. My friends didn't know what to do when they saw the garlic heads. One of them actually stared at it and said "This is new..." I guess it's new to Asians. lol This brings garlic bread to a whole new level of adoration for me. Just thinking about it is making me salivate.

Butter Chicken

I love butter chicken! I still remember the first time I had butter chicken. I was in Toronto with my sister and we visited our cousin Julie. She took us to this little Indian buffet close to her place. When she asked if i've ever had butter chicken, I imagined chicken basted in a pool of butter...it didn't sound appetizing. When I had it...it was love!

I am unsure just how authentic butter chicken is to indian cuisine. I wouldn't be surprised if someone told me that butter chicken had western influence in its creation. And every time i order butter chicken at an Indian restaurant, I can't help but wonder if the Indian staff is scoffing at me and think that i don't really appreciate authentic Indian cuisine. But i'll admit...other than butter chicken, samosa, and curry...i don't know much about Indian cuisine. All I know is...my palate loves it.

Up until last night, I've only had butter chicken at restaurants or coming from a jar. On this note, the President's choice butter chicken sauce is really good. It's great if you want butter chicken quickly. So, last night, I decided to give making butter chicken from scratch a try. I combined two recipes. One I found online, and another I photocopied from a recipe book.

• 1tbsp (15ml) vegetable oil
• 1 lb (500g) boneless, skinless chicken, cut into bite-size portions
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp (15ml) ginger, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp (30ml) butter
• 2 tsp (10ml) lemon juice
• 1 tsp (5ml) of each: cumin and garam masala
• 1/4 tsp (1ml) of cayenne pepper
• 1 cup (250ml) tomato sauce
• 1 cup (250ml) Evaporated Milk
• 1/4 (50ml) plain yogurt
• salt and pepper to taste
• Tandoori masala paste

1. Marinate the chicken with the Tandoori masala paste for at least 2 hrs. Preheat oven 375 degrees and bake chicken cubes on a baking sheet for about 12-15 min, or until juices run clear. Set aside.
2. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Sauté onions, garlic, and ginger until soft and fragrant. Stir in butter, lemon juice, garam masala, cumin, and cayenne pepper. Cook and stir for 1 minute. Add tomato sauce and cook for 2 minutes, storring frequently. Stir in milk and yogurt. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring often.
3. Add chicken to sauce and bring dauce to boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes until sauce had thickened.
4. Serve with Naan or over steamed rice.

I really only realize now, from writing out the recipe, that i almost didn't follow the measurement at all. For starters, I used the whole can of milk and tomato sauce. I used ginger powder instead of real ginger, because i didn't have any on hand. I couldn't find Garam masala at the loblaws, but theyhad spices called Indian masala, so i bought that instead. I also think i used more yougurt than was asked and maybe 5 times the amount of cayenne pepper. The results came out fine though. Kevin said he couldn't make out the difference from the jar kind we usually have. The recipe also didn't take as long as i expected. Dinner was on the table in 40 minutes. The sauce smelled and taste kind of yougut-ey at first, but once i added the chicken with the tandoori, it just worked out. One thing that bothered me was that the lemon juice caused the dairy product in the sauce to become grainy (curdle). But it did not change the taste.

Things I want to eventually try making

I always knew I loved to eat delicious food, but I never knew I liked baking. I don't have an enormous sweet tooth, so it helps that my co-workers are. My old blog used to be about random things that happen to me or things that I have observed. But now with a beautiful kitchen with lots of counter space at the condo i share with Kev, I like to experiment and blog about my kitchen experiments. I don't get to bake as often as I want to, because Kevin will say I spend too much time on baking. I've been looking at different recipes and here are a few things i'd liked to make in the future...


- cinnamon buns
- cupcakes (2nd attempt, 1 st attempt not successful due to lack of mixer)
- two-bite brownies
- Tiramisu cups
- Cream-Cheese Lemon cookies
- Butter Chicken
- Checker board cookies
- Strawberry Shortcake
- Creme Brulée
- Black and White Cookies

I picked up a catalogue for cooking classes at our local loblaws. I think Kev and I are planning on taking the basic sushi class. It's $30 for a 2 hour hands-on class. In late November, i'll probably take the Season Sweets class with Rachelle. I persuaded her to come to the west island and spend the night at our place to take the mid-week class. :)

Disney Vacation

I'm back from spending a week in Orlando, Florida. I have to admit, I've been in Orlando twice in my life and I haven't seen Orlando at all. Both times i spent it inside Disney World. I'd like to mention that I was in Disney World, not Disney Land. A lot of people seem to think they are the same think...sure...they're part of the same corporation, but Disney Land is in California...and much smaller than Disney World. I guess there's something about Disney Land that just rolls off peoples tongues. :)

On the morning of our flight, I woke up feeling sick...i had caught a cold and we didn't have any cold medicine at home. we tried to find a 24 hour drug store, but there were none that were close by. So I had to suck it up. I later bought some cold medicine at the Orlando airport. Over the week, we all took turns getting sick. Since I was sharing a room with Kev, I gave him my cold. Our friend Mike had a fever for a day. My brother, Andrew, caught some kind of stomach virus and was in bed for almost 2 days. My sister caught a cold by the end of the trip.

The weather in Florida was very humid and hot. Most days were partially cloudy with strong sun, but usually it would rain in the evening or night. On one day, our group decided to seperate and it began to rain. That's when we remembered that our raincoats were in my sister's backpack...and by then, she was in a different park. So Kev and I got soaked. It was not fun.

Disney has lots of great rides and shows, but not many very thrilling rides. The most thrilling is probably Expedition Everest, which we rode 3 times. The food is not great. They have many food counters for quick eats. The Turkey leg was tasty, but salty. Their chicken wings, which we only discovered on our last full day there, were quite delicious. They also have a gourmet sandwich place called Earl's Sandwich in Downtown Disney that is very good and cheap. Restaurant food was good, but expensive for what it is.

For some reason, I remember Disney being much more fun 6 years ago. Perhaps because I was 6 years younger, and i was seeign everything for the first time. I didn't care about the food then, I just wanted to eat quickly and get back to the lines. Possibly, with age, I now crave some kind of quality food. Instead, we were given overpriced burgers that tasted worst than McD's. Satisfying when hungry, but I could hear my stomach yelling "What the hell are you feeding me?"

I guess being attached played a role in how my trip differed from 6 years ago. Back then, I was single. I was there with my siblings and friends, just followed the groups plans. But with Kev, I had to consider where he wanted to go and think about how to plan around the group so we can have some alone time. Since it was also a trip with my siblings, I wanted to spend time with them. And I felt bad for running off with Kev all the time. Don't get me wrong, i loved the time I spent alone with Kev, because all my attention is on one person and not trying to figure out what everyone else wanted to do. In the end, I think I prefer going on trip with my siblings alone and going on trips alone with Kev. That way, I do not feel torn.

However, I am glad i got to experience Disney World with Kev. It's a whole different feeling when you see the fireworks at Cinderella's castle with the person you love right there with you.

Roasted Ratatouille Pasta

Since learning that I like to try new recipes, it has opened up a wide range of conversation topics between me and some co-workers. Over the summer, my co-worker Mary told me about roasted Garlic. As many know, I love anything that makes my breath smell. Garlic and Onions are my favorite. Needless to say, I was all ears when Mary told me how to make roasted garlic and what i could do with it. Then she mentioned a new recipe she had just tried and recommended i try it since it has the roasted garlic in it. It was a recipe she got from the Rachael Ray Show. I honestly have never watched her show...her voice just annoys me...how do I know if I haven't seen the show...from those dumb Dunkin' Donuts commercials. One night, I was watching TV with Kev and that commercial came up. Midway through the commercial, Kev exclaimed "she has an annoying voice". Right then, I knew Kev and I were meant to be together. LOL

Recipes with several steps, I reserve for quiet weekends. I can better cook in peace without having to stress that i don't have the food on the table in less than 30 minutes. The only Ratatouille I've ever seen is on the Disney movie Ratatouille. lol I imagined having to slice everthing into thin slices...but I didn't need to slice anything. Well, here's the recipe:

• Extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)for drizzling
• 1 head garlic
• 1 medium eggplant, ends removed, peeled and cut into small chunks
• 2 to 3 medium zucchini, ends removed, quartered and into small chunks
• 2 red bell peppers, cored, seeds removed and cut into small chunks
• 1 large onion, cut into small chunks
• 4 sprigs thyme, leaves removed
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes
• 1 pound whole wheat penne
• 1/2 cup Italian parsley, chopped
• 1/2 cup (a large handful) grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus more to pass at the table
  

1. Preheat oven to 450ºF
2. Cut a sliver off the top of the garlic head just large enough to expose the cloves. Tear off a large square of aluminum foil and place the garlic in the center. Drizzle a small amount of EVOO over the head and wrap the foil up around it. Place in the oven and roast until golden brown and tender, about 45 minutes.
3. While the garlic is roasting, cut up the veggies and place everything except the tomatoes on one or two large baking sheets, along with the thyme leaves.
4. Once the garlic has been roasting for about 15 minutes, drizzle the veggies with EVOO and season them with some salt and freshly ground black pepper. Roast them in the oven until tender and caramelized, about 30 minutes.
5. Once the veggies have been in the oven about 10 minutes, place the tomatoes onto another baking sheet, drizzle them with EVOO and hit them with some salt and freshly ground black pepper. Toss them into the oven with the other veggies and roast until they've burst and shriveled up slightly, 15-20 minutes.
6. Once the veggies have about 10 minutes left to go, drop the pasta into the boiling water and cook to al dente according to package directions. Before draining the pasta, ladle about 3/4 cup or so of the pasta cooking liquid into a large serving bowl. Drain the pasta and reserve.
7. Once the garlic is done roasting, allow it to cool enough to handle, then hold the head in your hand over the bowl with the pasta water and squeeze out all of the roasted cloves into the bowl. Add the tomatoes and mash everything together.
8. Add the roasted veggies, drained pasta, parsley and grated Parmigiano to the bowl and toss it all to combine.
9. Pass some additional Parmigiano-Reggiano at the table along with the bowl of pasta.
   

Now for my review...the recipe was a bit bland. But in its defense, I completely forgot to put the thyme in, even though i had bought some. I also omitted eggplants, because we just don't care for them. I had to sprinkle some more salt and added more cheese. Other than that, it's a decent and simple recipe. However, next time, i'll double the roasted garlic...I could hardly taste it. After roasting the garlic, my kitchen was deliciously fragant of garlic...mouth watering. Once i squeezed the garlic out, i just wanted to spread it on a baguette with butter...hmmm...

Le Fuschia

Last Thursday, Kev and I finally got a chance to have a date. W'eve been busy running around all summer. In August, we bought tickets to see Blue Man Group at the Bell Center. I have previously seen them in Las Vegas and it was a really good show. Kevin had never seen them. For dinner, we didn't know where to eat. I was on Facebook and a friend of mine had on her status that she was going to Le Fuschia. I've been to Le Fuschia before. Actually, I was the one who took her there years ago.

Le Fuschia is one of those word of mouth eateries that nobody really knows about because it's hidden in the basement of Lasalle College on Ste-Catherine (near metro Atwater). Le Fuschia offers fine cuisine prepared and served by students of Lasalle College, who are learning the culinary arts of French cuisine.

The restaurant is not open every day and every evening. The opening hours depend on student availability. During my visit, the opening hours were as follows: Mon-Friday Lunch 11:30-1:30 and Wed-Friday Evening 5:30-8:15pm. However, I recommend calling the restaurant to learn about their opening hours. Large group might need reservations so that students may be prepared for such a large party.

The Table d'Hote was very good. You get to pick between 4 choices of appetizers, main dishes, and desserts + coffee/tea for $9.95 (tax included). For appetizer, Kevin and I picked the same thing; the duck springroll. I'm not at all surprised, since we both love duck. The plate came with two spring rolls with duck confit, vermicelli, and cucumber wrapped in a piece of green lettuce nestled on a pieces of crisp nori. On the side, we had a peanut sauce. Kevin usually does not like peanut sauce, but he enjoyed it a lot.



For the main course, I picked the salmon. Kevin had a difficult time deciding between the lamb or the deer. Since he had never had deer before, he decided this would be a good time to try it because the price is so affordable. He probably wouldn't have another chance to try it. I wouldn't buy it, and having deer at a regular restaurant would probably cost a bundle. My salmon came back cooked medium with a sweet and tangy glaze. Kevin's bacon wrapped deer medallion-style, came with mashed sweet potatoes (yams). My salmon was delicious. The middle looked a bit raw, color-wise, but i was able to flake it with my fork. I usually do not like eating salmon cooked...most restaurants tend to overcook it. But if you have a nice fresh piece of fish, it's ok to have it medium, I suppose. I usually like my salmon raw, sashimi-style preferrably. lol I wasn't a huge fan of the deer meat. Kevin thought it was ok. He mentioned that the bacon wasn't crispy and kind of chewy.

For dessert, I ordered the Lemon Meringue tart. Kevin ordered the Tropical Cheesecake. This was my first time eating meringue. I am not a big fan of it. It's almost like eating the foam that comes on top of a cappucino...like eating air. The tart filling was too sour...it could ahve used a bit more sugar. Kevin's cheesecake arrived in a coffee mug, garnished with fresh fruits. The crustless cheesecake was chocolate with coconut flakes mixed in. He did not like it, but i liked it better than my dessert. The dessert course was the disappointment of the entire dinner, but i've probably had much worse.

The portions at Le Fuschia are the same as all French restaurants; small. The presentation is nice, and the food is good for what you pay for. I would go back.

Our meal came up to $26.00 inclusing tax and tip.

Le Fuschia
2000, rue Ste-Catherine O, corner Du Fort

Montreal, Quebec

Tel.: 514.939.4408