Hazelnut Chocolate Orange Biscotti

Rachelle and I took a one-night baking class at the Loblaws close to my place. We baked biscotti, and a cream-filled cookie. The class was so much fun. We were able to share the treats with our co-workers the next day and they all loved it. :)

• 6tbsp Butter, softened
• 1 cup Sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tsp finely grated orange zest
• 1/4 tsp Vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 1/3 cup toasted and chopped hazelnut pieces

1. Preheat over to 350 degree
2. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy (about 3 minutes)
3. Add eggs, orange peel, and vanilla. Beat for 3 minutes
4. In a seperate bowl, stir together flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt
5. In tree batches, add the flour mixture to the wet mixture. Beat at low speed until combined.
6. With a spoon, mix in chocolate chips and hazelnut
7. If mixture is too wet, add more flour.
8. Divide dough into 3-4 pieces. On a floured surface, roll each piece into 1 1/2 inch diameter long and flatten lightly.
9. Arrange two logs per baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes.
10. After cooled for about 10 minutes, cut each log into 1/2 inch slices diagonally and place cut side down.
11. Bake again for 6 minutes, cool and enjoy with your coffee.

Rachelle and I like our biscotti chewy, so we decided to skip the second bake. They came out great.

Oatmeal Cookies

A few weeks ago, it was Kevin's turn to buy the next co-worker's birthday treat. He asked me to make Lemon squares and something else. I suggested Oatmeal cookies...because 1) it's easy to carry 2) We had all the ingredients at home. I actually had planned on making the cookies a few days earlier, but didn't end up making them.

I got this recipe from my brother. He found it on someone else's blog, where the guy calls them the World's Best Oatmeal Chocolate Cookies. I'm not quite sure if they're the Best, but they are pretty good. Plus, I've always had a soft spot for raisin oatmeal cookies. For the batch I made for Kevin, I made some chocolate and some raisin. My brother likes to make raisin-chocolate oatmeal cookies...it's really entirely up to you.

• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1.5 cups white flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3 cups oatmeal
• 1.5-2 cups chocolate chips/ raisins

1. Set oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
2. Mix sugars and butter together.
3. Add eggs + vanilla, mix.
4. Mix in Flour, Salt and Baking Soda
5. Mix in the oatmeal
6. Stir in some semi-sweet chocolate chips / raisins
7. Depending on your oven and cookie size each batch should take about 10-15 minutes. I also like to bake them on parchment paper.
8. Let it cool and serve with Milk. Yum!

Original recipe with pictures:

http://thestrategicretreat.com/worlds-best-oatmeal-chocolate-chip-cookies/

Spicy Garlic and Pepper Shrimp

Again with the seafood, I know. I love it! About a week ago, we bought some frozen shrimps that were on sale at loblaws. Over the weekend, we didn't know what to make for supper, so Kev looked up online for a recipe. He showed me this Spicy Garlic and Pepper Shrimp recipe. I like spicy, so I said ok. Off we went to loblaws to buy the missing ingredients.

To start, I have never bought or prepared cabbage before...NEVER! I've seen my mom use it and in my mind, i'd just chop half of it and shred it for out dish...easier said than done. For starters, we don't really have a butcher knife like my mom's. She can cut through a cabbage with one chop. Me...not so much. I struggled for a while and then finally ended up peeling the cabbage one leaf at a time. It was pretty sad.

• 2 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 cup shredded cabbage
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 8 large fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 tablespoons sliced onion
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce

1. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a skillet over high heat. Add cabbage and 1 tablespoon water stir-fry for 30 seconds. Remove cabbage from skillet and place on a serving platter.
2. Heat the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons oil in the skillet over high heat. Place the garlic and shrimp in the skillet and stir until garlic is lightly browned and shrimp turns pink. Add pepper, onion, cilantro, soy sauce and remaining water to the skillet. Stir-fry for 10 seconds. Pour the hot mixture onto the cabbage.

I usually like to sneak in extra ingredients or spices, but this time I decided to use the recipe only. If you're not into spicy, use less pepper flakes, because they were pretty spicy. We served it on steamed white rice. I think I would have liked my cabbage a little more cooked. In general, it was pretty good and it was quick to prepare. Man, I love cilantro. I wanted to add more, but Kev isn't a big fan. He picks them out.

Also at the end, I scooped up the shrimp and left the watery sauce in the skillet and thickened it a bit before pouring it on top of the cabbage and shrimps. I wish there was more sauce though. It was good on the rice.

Noodle Factory restaurant

For Kev's birthday, his friend Derrick called him up to go have dinner. At first, Kev suggested Vietnamese Pho. But then I remembered the noodle place my cousin introduced me to about 2 months ago. However, when I went with her, we only ordered dumplings.

The restaurant is in a very convenient location (corner De la Gauchetiere and St-Urbain). It is also very small. It can sit about 30 people only. Most of the customers were non-Asians. Noodle Factory boosts their freshly made noodles and dumplings. You can actually see them making the dough and turning them into floury noodle goodness. And if you didn't notice the cooks making the noodles, no worries, the waiter will come by your table and exclaim "spectacle! spectacle!" to catch your attention. Service is friendly and quick.

The menu is not very big. You have different choices of dumplings (fried, steamed, boiled) and noodles (fried or in a soup). In the entire menu, you can only see pork as the meat. But on the restaurant wall there are small sheets in Chinese characters with prices on them. I recognized the symbol for beef. I assume this is the secret Chinese menu. You can't read it, you can't eat it. Unfortunetly for us, we didn't notice the secret menu until after our food arrived at our table. Kev and I can't read Chinese, but Derrick can.

We all ordered the same thing..."Soup noodle with spicy vegetables and pork". Sounds simple. I need to clarify this "spicy vegetable"...it is not stir-fried veggies in spicy sauce. If you're hoping for the I-can't-feel-my-lips kind of spicy, you will be disappointed. I believe the translation for this was bad. The "spicy vegetables" it is referring to is what we call Tza Choy (sp?), better known as Szechuan pickled veggies (chopped turnip, minced cabbage...). It is a little bit salty, but because it is mixed in with soup, it is not as flavourful as it would be if you mixed it in rice. I love that stuff, but it is misleading to call it spicy vegetables. This pickled mixture is then stirfried with tiny strips of pork and then slid into your noodles and broth. The fresh noodles were delicious. They just melt in your mouth and super slippery.

This is Szechuan Pickled Turnip before being cut. Doesn't it look like stool?

When i went with my cousin, we ordered Siu Long Bao (sp?) or Xialongbao in Mandarin or Shanghai Steamed Soup Dumplings in plain English. The only soup dumplings i've had are at dim sum and they are not quite as good as they're supposed to be. Soup Dumplings are traditionally filled with soup and meat (pork). The soup inside is created by placing some meat gelatin inside the dumpling before steaming. The steam heat melts the gelatin into soup. So when you pop that little dumpling in your mouth, you get a burst of yummy soup too. These are traditionally served with vinegar and ginger slivers. On this visit, I ordered it. However, once cooled, it is difficult to take out without having the bottom of the dumpling stay stuck to the bamboo basket and having the soup spill out of the dumpling. So tragic. The dumplings were good!

Shanghai Steamed Soup Dumplings

Derrick was still hungry after the dumplings and soup noodles. Kev and I were ready to unbutton our pants. Derrick ordered Wor Tip (sp?) or Chinese Dumplings. They typically consist of a ground meat and/or vegetable filling wrapped into a thinly rolled piece of dough, which is then sealed by pressing the edges together or by crimping. Chinese Dumplings should not be confused with wonton: Chinese dumplings have a thicker, chewier skin and a flatter, more oblate, double-saucer like shape, and are usually eaten with a soy-vinegar sauce (and/or hot chili sauce); while wontons have thinner skin, are sphere-shaped, and are usually served in broth. My mom makes amazing dumplings. Many times in the past, my brother and I would tell my mom to open a dumpling shop. It never materialized. My mom's boiled dumplings are my favorite, her pan -fried ones are my brother and sister's favorite. I find them to be a little too oily. At Noodle Factory, the dumplings arrive pipping hot. We had to wait a few minutes before eating them. They're not as oily as mom's, but the filling also did nt taste as good as mom's. However, they were pretty decent and I'd order them again.

Chinese Dumplings uncooked.

In the end, the three of us left with a belly full of noodle goodness and it only cost us about $36 (tax and service included). I can't wait to go back and try their secret Chinese menu.

Noodle Factory Restaurant/1018 St-Urbain/ 514-868-9738

Chocolate Truffles

Last weekend, my friend Wynnie and her boyfriend invited us over to their new place for dinner. Since I was on a budget, I didn't know what to get them as a gift. So I decided to make them something. Back when I was still living with Rachelle, we had tried out this chocolate truffle recipe. I remember people asking us if we bought them at the store, eventhough they were sitting in an IKEA tupperware.

I decided to try making these with some alcohol. There are many ways to make chocolate truffles, most of the recipes i found required heavy cream and more ingredients. Here's the recipe I used:

• 1 pkg (250g or a little more than 1 cup) Cream Cheese, softened
• 8 oz of chocolate, any kind
• 50 ml Bailey's

1. Melt chocolate until smooth
2. Mix in cream cheese and Bailey's
3. Refrigerate until hard. I left it in the fridge overnight since i only started making them late.
4. Roll into little balls, cover with whatever coating you want. Place on mini paper cups. Refrigerate.

I tried different coatings. The cocoa powder gave the truffles a little bit of a bitter taste before the sweetness in the center hits you. Coconut shavings were nice and gave it a nice flavor. I didn't use nuts in case Wynnie's boyfriend had a nut allergy that I didn't know about. I do not recommend using powder sugar. The sugar melts into a messy goop. I had to throw those out. I bought a cute little gift box to put the truffles in. Wynnie seemed to like them and said they were fancy. The funny thing was that Kevin knew I was making truffles, but didn't come to see what they looked like. So when Wynnie opened the box, he said "Wow! you made that?" Not too subtle. lol

These are quite sweet and rich. Serve them with milk, coffe, or tea...

Review: PC's Best Ever Meat Lasagna

"Lasagna lovers, we proudly present to you the ultimate upgrade. We've prepared it with paper-thin sheets of delicate egg pasta layered with a generous selection of premium authentic fillings. Our recipe includes beef and Italian-style spicy pork sausage (50% more meat than our regular lasagna), creamy béchamel sauce, roasted garlic sautéed rapini, rustic tomato sauce and six delectable cheeses. One taste will convince you that this irresistibly flavourful masterpiece is indeed the best ever in our line of excellent PC lasagnas."

When we run out of ideas for dinner during the week, we sometimes turn to prepared frozen food, like frozen lasagna. We usually buy the regular PC meat lasagna, but I much prefer the PC seafood lasagna. Over the weekend, we were in the lasagna aisle and Kev said he saw the feature fridge with President's Choice's new lasagna. They call it "Our Best Ever Meat Lasagna" for $14.99. It is slightly heavier than the regular meat lasagna we get for $7.99. The spicy pork sausage, roasted garlic, béchamel sauce really got me. So Kev agreed to give it a try.

On the day Kevin made it, he worked from home because he had a dentist appointment, so it worked out well. He put the lasagna in an hour before I was expected home. So the lasagna was ready by the time i took off my shoes.

At first glance, I could tell that there wasn't a lot of cheese on the top. I'm a cheese fiend. I know there's 6 kinds of cheese, but for $14.99 c'mon...don't be cheap. It's supposed to live up to its name. As I cut into this lasagna, it didn't feel as firm as their regular meat lasagna. Perhaps it was too hot and I should have let it sit on the counter for 10 more minutes. Scooping it into our plates with a spatula proved that the lasagna was not firm. It fell apart. The cheese slid off, sauce pouring out of every side...it was a mess. Still...presentation is nice to have, but the true test is the taste. The mixture of ground beef and ground pork sausage was...a meat mixture. I couldn't really tell what was in it besides that it was some animal meat. I like the mix of tomato sauce with the béchamel. I'm a sucker for creamy sauces. As for the 6 kind of cheeses...it could have been just one, i wouldn't have known the difference.

The lasagna was pretty good, but not good enough to pay almost double what we pay for a regular lasagna. If the only upside is the béchamel, I could easily just buy béchamel or make my own and pour some on the regular lasagna.

Sorry, not really the Best Ever Meat Lasagna, Mr. President. Try again.

Tofu Scallop

My mom is a great cook. If you haven't tried her dumplings, you're really missing out. Before she met my dad, she took cooking classes with this great chef. She had recipe books in Hong Kong. The chef liked my mom so much that she gave her an opportunity to travel with her as an assistant or "sous chef" around the world. My mom declined the offer. She was still finishing school.


My mom doesn't follow recipes. I guess she has a trained tongue, so she can just put a dash of this and a dash of that. Being a late bloomer in the kitchen, I am only learning now. Most of the time I just call up my mom and ask for her advice. Although a great cook, she always cooks with the same ingredients. So when Kev asked if I knew how to make my mom's tofu scallop dish, I couldn't exactly say no. I'll admit, I didn't quite know how to, but I had an idea. This is my second time cooking with Tofu. The first time I stir-fried it with bean sprouts and I ended up with bean sprouts and tofu brain. With this recipe, I do not have measurement. I cooked with "my tongue", tasting it as I went along.

• Tofu, any texture. I used semi-firm.
• Fresh or frozen scallops
• Vegetables, I used red peppers, in strips
• green onions/shallots, chopped
• garlic, minced
• Olive Oil
• Soy sauce, I used Lee Kum Kee Seasoned Soy Sauce for Seafood (available at Asian Markets)
• Sugar
• Sesame Oil
• garlic salt
• black pepper
• Ginger powder
• corn starch
  

1. Boil Tofu in water, use a sieve to scoop the tofu out of the water and put aside on the serving dish.
2. On medium-high, heat olive oil and add minced garlic. Cook until fragrant.
3. Cook Scallops with the juices (if Fresh scallops, just add a bit of water). Add green onions/shallots. Add vegetables. Cook a few minutes, scallops don't take long to cook.
4. Add the rest of the ingredients...Soy sauces vary in saltiness, add sugar if it's too salty. Use a dash of everything else. Taste often and you can adjust to the taste you like.
5. Scoop out the food on top of the tofu, leaving the sauce in the skillet. Add about 2 Tbsp of water to 1 tsp of corn starch to thicken the sauce. You can use other thickeners. Pour sauce on top of everything.
6. Serve over steamed rice.

I know this isn't exactly easy to make without measurements, but it was hard to keep track of how much I was putting into it. Kev put his stamp of approval on this first-time dish. It's not quite like Mama, but I'm glad Kev liked it. He kept going back for more.

I apologize for the pic, I couldn't get a pic of the dish right after cooking. We were so hungry that we just dug in. This picture is actually what was leftover for my lunch. Hehe

Salmon Tartare

I've been an avid raw fish eater for many years. Whenever I go to AYCE sushi places, I always attack the sashimi list first. One of my favorite fish to eat raw is salmon. It's delicious. At several places, they sometimes offer spicy salmon sashimi, which is chopped up salmon mixed in the deliciously spicy mayo sauce and roe. I just never realized that this is pretty much tartare. For many years, i've sampled a few beef tartare (sliced raw beef). Although good, I have never had a huge craving for them.


Last year, my friend Marilyn took Rachelle and I to Holders restaurant. She kept going on and on about the delicious salty fries. I was ready to order the beef tartare, but then Marilyn said she was ordering the same thing, so I decided to try the salmon tartare with yogurt and Mujjol caviar (entrée $9.50, meal $17.50 comes with fries). That night, i fell in love. Ever since that night, i kept having cravings for the tartare. I took my friend Anh Thu there and she liked it as well. But now, it's not just an obsession with Holder's Tartare, but all tartares. Whenever I see the words "Salmon Tartare", I jump to it.


I've also had the Salmon Tartare at a japanese restaurant in the Old port, called Tatami. It's a cute little restaurant where your table is an aquarium with tropical fishes. Their Salmon Tartare has that spicy mayo sauce mixed in with tempura batter bits. The bottom is a layer of rice, the top layer is nicely decorated into a ying yang sign with 2 colors of roe and two pieces of fruit for the dots (raspberry or blackberry) for $14. I recommend this restaurant for a quiet romantic dinner and for their beautiful presentation of their dishes, they are always accompanied by flowers and fruits.

I recently tried the Salmon Tartare at Vallier Restaurant with Anh thu. The portion was smaller, but it was not meant to be a meal. The Salmon Tartare was $9. The waitress asked us if we wanted it spicy. We ordered it medium. The Tartare was pretty standard, nothing too special about it. It had bits of shallots and celery in it with some cream sauce (could be mayo, yogurt, or sour cream).


With my obsession in full swing, I was craving for more. But it can get a little expensive. On Tuesday night, Kevin had plans to meet with his friend for a very meaty dinner at Milsa's. knowing that we had half a pack of smoked salmon in the fridge, I looked up a recipe for salmon tartare. I have never had salmon tartare made with smoked salmon before, so I wasn't sure if i'd find such a recipe online. The only recipe I found for salmon tartare that used smoke salmon was a recipe by Emeril Lagasse. BAM! So I decided to try it. I had most of the ingredients at home.

• 4 ounces smoked salmon, julienned
• 1 teaspoon capers chopped
• 1 tablespoon homemade or prepared mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon chopped dill
• 1 teaspoon minced shallots
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• Salt and pepper
• 2 slices pumpernickel slices, squared of and cut into4 triangles each, toasted
• 8 small dill sprigs
  

1. Combine salmon, capers, mayonnaise, dill and shallots. Taste, and adjust seasonings with lemon juice, salt and pepper. Divide among croutons and top each with a dill sprig.

Instead of using pumpernickel slices, I had bought Swedish toasts by President's Choice at Loblaws. Of course, this tartare wasn't as great as the ones i get at the restaurants, but it was good. However, I found the smoked salmon to be too strong. I could barely taste anything else.

Restaurant Holders / 407 McGill street (Metro Square Victoria)/ 514.849.0333
http://restaurantholder.com/

Tatami Sushi Bar Restaurant / 140 Notre-Dame street / 514.845.5864

Restaurant Vallier Licencié/ 425 McGill street (Metro Square Victoria)/ 514.842.2905
http://www.restaurantvallier.com/

Carb-fest: potatoes

Kevin and I had half a sack of red potatoes in the fridge that were starting to...not look too good. There's really only one way we eat potatoes on a regular basis: mashed. But we don't have mashed potatoes very often either...we have it occasionally when we have ribs. So I had to find a way to use up all the potatoes or count our losses. Being someone who doesn't like to waste, I wouldn't let Kevin throw away good potatoes...the term "good" used loosely. The potatoes were starting to look pretty damn sad.

So, when Kevin was out with friends the other night, I got to work. I decided to make two dishes, because it seemed like a lot of potatoes to make just one. I decided on making Kevin's aunt Sherry's scalloped potatoes, and dill potato salad.




Scalloped Potatoes

• Potatoes, peeled and sliced thin
• thinly sliced onions, then chopped
• grated mild cheddar cheese
• salt and pepper
• parsley flakes
• cayenne pepper
• garlic powder
  

1. Preheat over to 400 F degree.


2. In a baking dish, drizzle olive oil. Make one layer of potatoes, sprinkle all spices, one layer of onions, one layer of cheese. Repeat layers if you wish.


3. For each layer, you should bake in the over for 20 minutes. I did two layer, baked for 40 minutes. Some ovens run high, please check on your potatoes, it might be burning.

Creamy Dill Potato Salad

• Potatoes cubed
• dill weeds, chopped
• Plain Yogurt
• garlic salt
• cayenne pepper
• salt and pepper
• green onions/shallots chopped
• onions, chopped into small pieces
• dried Thyme
• 1 hard boiled egg, chopped

1. Boil potatoes until tender
2. Boil one egg
3. Once done and drained, mix potatoes with all ingredient. Chill in the fridge and serve. Voila! Facile non?

For the Creamy dill potato salad, there's no measurements. Use your best judgment...don't overload on onions and shallots. Be generous with spices. I was quite happy to receive a few compliments about my Creamy dill potato salad. I had no recipe for it. I just used whatever I had. I had planned on using mayo, but decided to use up my plain yogurt and it worked out well. I'll admit I wasn't too sure about it.

Seafood Papillote

When Kevin and I first started dating, we'd always look-up recipes online to try. Kevin's a major carnivore. I love my meats too, but after living with Rachelle for nearly two years, I didn't need to have meat all the time. Sometimes I enjoy a full vegetarian meal, or even a seafood meal. I can't remember who found the seafood papillote recipe, but I probably said I wanted seafood for dinner instead of beef/pork/chicken...

• Shrimp
• scallops
• Green onions chopped
• PC Spicy Herb & Pepper Olive Oil
• salt
• fresh ground pepper
• lemon juice
  

1. Preheat oven 400 F (200 C)


2. Cut four 12-inch (30 cm) lengths heavy-duty foil and place on work surface. Divive shrimps, scallops, and green onions evenly among pieces of foil. Drizzle each with the flavored Olive Oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Fold two opposite sides of foil up to meet on top of the seafood mixture; fold edges together securely. Frold remaining two short ends of packets up to close package securely. Place package on rimmed baking sheet.


3. Bake in center og oven for 15 minutes. Open packet carefully. Transfer contents of each packet, including juices, to a dinner plate and squeeze lemon juice over each serving.


4. Serve on top of steamed white rice.
   

We buy a pack of frozen mixed scallops and shrimps for about $6.99 at loblaws. It's enough to serve two. I think the spicy oil gives it a kick and the lemon juice is great. We don't make this very often, but it's a fast way to have dinner on the table.

Oyster Festival

Last Thursday was the second to last day of the Oyster Festival in Montreal's Old Port, where six fancy shmancy old port restaurants have a promotional menu for the festival. All six restaurant have a 12 Malpèque oyster for $20 special and a special seafood menu along with their regular menu.

Besides sampling a raw oyster at Loblaws the week before, i had never had a full meal of raw oysters. I was a little curious about it. The only oysters i've had were the cooked ones from Chinatown. They are steamed with the fermented black bean sauce that Chinese peeps love so much. Those oysters are also usually ginormous. I don't know what kind of oysters they are, but i love eating them cooked.

What better partner to bring along than my good friend Anh Thu. She'll try anything once and normally at any price. I let Anh filter out which restaurant she wanted to go. She chose AIX Cuisine du Terroir or Suite 701 - Lounge. I went to AIX last winter for their winter promo, so i knew it was a quiet restaurant and that Suite 701 was noisy and loud as it is upstairs from AIX. So I took the liberty of reserving at AIX. We ordered the "Aixperience" plate; 12 oysters (3 kinds of oysters that I don't remember), 2 Princess scallop ceviche, 6 shrimps, an oyster shooter, and a small lobster tail for $60. Forgive us for not having a picture to show, we were so anxious to try our oysters that we forgot.

Our inexperienced palates could not differentiate the 3 different kinds of oysters. I was also quite disappointed that they were not the big mama oyster we usually have in Chinatown. They were small. We knew we'd still be hungry after the meal. The oysters came with two kinds of sauce: horseradish (blech), and a red wine vinaigrette with french shallots, pepper, Tabasco, and lemon, which was quite nice. Anh Thu preferred using a lot of lemon juice and some Tabasco. The scallops, shrimp, and lobster were you know...ok...nothing to write home about. We're not quite sure what was in the shooter but it had an oyster at the bottom, some kind of alcohol (vodka?) and possibly Tabasco. Not being an alcohol drinker, i'm not quite sure what to think of it. In general, an okay plate. We finished off our meal with the Trio Crème Brulée for $9, my favorite dessert. The trio came with one vanilla, one chocolate, and one Earl Grey tea crème brulée. Anh liked the Earl Grey one, it was quite unique. I much preferred the regular vanilla, why mess with a good thing? Although, good, they missed on a crucial element of a crème brulée, the burned topping. It was b...a...r...e...l...y burned. However, I guess for the portion and price, it was pretty nice.

After our dinner, we felt we could have another meal. So we drove to Restaurant Holders. We once had dinner there together. The Salmon Tartare ($18) is very good. When we got there, they turned us down. The place was packed! So we settled for Restaurant Vallier down the street. They had Salmon Tartare for $9. The portion was not quite as big and delicious as Holders, but it was good bang for our buck. I'll be writing a more extensive post about Salmon Tartare, as i am preparing to make Salmon Tartare at home tonight.

In general, I think it was a good experience. But I probably should not be on anyone's list of people to bring to an oyster bar. It's just not quite my thing.


AIX Cuisine du Terroir/ 711 Côte de la Place d'Armes, Old Montreal/ 514.904.1201

http://www.aixcuisine.com/

Restaurant Holders / 407 McGill street (Metro Square Victoria)/ 514.849.0333

http://restaurantholder.com/

Restaurant Vallier Licencié/ 425 McGill street (Metro Square Victoria)/ 514.842.2905

http://www.restaurantvallier.com/

Ginza vs Odaki vs Kanda

Last week, Kevin, Rachelle, and I called Ginza and reserved a table. The last time we wanted to go eat there (without reservation), we were turned down. The restaurant was booked full on a Friday night. Even though it was only Tuesday night, I decided to be safe and called for reservation. When I first called, I made reservation for two. Kevin decided to join when his plans fell through. I called to change the reservation except there is no record of my reservation. So I had to make one again. That was kind of annoying.

Ginza is much smaller and intimate than Kanda and Odaki. It’s a great quiet place to take a date. I think we got better service than at Kanda and Odaki (Kanda being the worst). Our water was filled frequently and waiter was friendly.

Fried Tofu

The food was good. I seriously cannot remember if we had the fried tofu. As mentioned in my comparison post between Odaki and Kanda, Kanda was still the winner for best fried tofu. I can’t remember if fried tofu was on the Ginza menu or if we ordered it and it was just not memorable. To sum up, I guess Kanda is still the winner for best fried tofu.

Mussels

One of my staples at AYCE sushi places is the mussels. Since Kanda was the first AYCE sushi place I had in MTL, they kind of set the bar. Their mussels are yummy with the spicy mayo. The Odaki mussels had an unanimous thumbs down, for all three varieties. At Ginza, they had two kinds. We only tried one kind; the garlic mussels. Kevin did not like them, I thought they were tasty. However, the garlic mussel was a weird combination with sashimi. Kanda wins for this again.

Sushi and Maki options

Like Odaki, Ginza had a wider variety than Kanda. But Ginza also wins over Odaki for having a sashimi section. If Ginza had mackerel sashimi, it would be a hands down win for me. I love mackerel. Odaki has Mackerel sushi, but the last time I went they put some weird prune sauce on top of it instead of shallots and ginger. It was quite strange. Ginza’s presentation is much nicer than Kanda and Odaki. My salmon sushi was placed in a way to look like a rose. The raw fish was very fresh as well. They also had spicy salmon sashimi, which I liked a lot. I believe Ginza wins in this section.

Cooked foods

Ginza offers a much wider variety than Kanda and Odaki. Like Odaki, they offer yummy fried soft shell crab. They offer the basic stuff…tempura, teriyaki…they also offer a few different variety of Miso soup and salads, but we only sampled the regular miso, which was pretty standard. One of the things I like about the cooked foods at Ginza is that they arrive at your table piping hot. I almost burned my tongue from biting into the Shrimp Tempura. Ginza wins for large variety and freshly prepared cooked foods.

Service

I didn’t know what subtitle to put for this section. At Kanda, they prepare your food according to the section: sashimi/sushi, maki, cooked food. So if you order a gazillion makis, they bring it to you all at once. And you end up with a table full, but usually you’re halfway done with your makis before your cooked food arrives. Last time we went to Odaki, we ordered a lot of food. We just didn’t realize it until it was spread out onto two tables. They all came at the same time. Just seeing all that food made Kevin want to puke. At Ginza, they pace you. Perhaps this is why you get your food hot. They bring out only a few plates at a time, we didn’t have to move things around because a new plate always arrived minutes after we finish the dishes on our table. This got a thumbs up from Kev.

Portions

Kanda and Ginza are really good at portions. The menu tells you how many pieces you get. Odaki does not. One order of grilled scallops could be anything.

Dessert

Kanda and Odaki does not have AYCE desserts. Ginza had fried banana, green tea ice cream and Pina Colada ice cream. Enough said.

The Verdict

I believe Ginza wins. I would definitely go back even though it’s far from where I live. However, I’d keep going to Kanda just because my favorite fried tofu and mussels are there, and there’s a Kanda conveniently 5 min away from our place.

Restaurant Ginza

4593 Saint-Denis (north of Mont-Royal st.), 514.904.0079, www.restoginza.com

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

Fried Haddock Filet on a Bed of Spring Greens with Mandarins

On Saturday,after running errands and going to the gym, Kev and I went to Loblaws to buy the ingredients I needed to make this new recipe my co-worker recommended, Ratatouille. But today's entry is not about the Ratatouille, that will come later ( also because I haven't made it yet). We didn't really know what to make for supper Saturday night and I knew we had most of the ingredients to make Fajitas. But we couldn't agree on steak fajitas or chicken fajitas. lol On the weekends, Loblaws often have a tasting kiosk where a chef makes a dish that always looks like too much trouble to make. They always give handouts of the recipe and we never end up making them. We liked what we sampled. The chef told us "The haddock is on sale." SOLD!
This is, by far, my favorite fish dish.

• 600g Haddock Filet
• 150g Ground Hazelnuts
• 300g Breadcrumbs
• 1 tsp Cajun Spices
• 2 eaggs beaten
• 2 Tbsp Milk 2%
• Salt and pepper to taste
• spring greens

Make your own cajun spice:

• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/2 tsp onion salt
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp Paprika
  

Dressing

• 1 can of Mandarin segments
• 4 Tbsp chopped coriander
• 125ml Olive Oil
• 40ml Seasoned rice Vinegar
• 30ml Orange Juice

1. Mix Hazelnut with breadcrumbs, spices and season to taste. Set aside.


2. In a large bowl, mix beaten eggs and milk. Dip fish in the mixture , then coat with seasoned breadcrumbs.


3. Mix coriander, olive oil, vinegar in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Blend in Orange juice and set aside.


4. Drain Mandarins and set aside.


5. Heat oil in a wok and cook fish fillets for 3-4 minutes (or until cooked). Place on paper towel to absorb excess oil then serve on a bed of spring greens. Drizzle the dressing from step 3 and garnish with mandarin segments

Due to a stomachache, we had to gather all the ingredients for the ratatouille and for the haddock dish as fast as possible. It almost felt like an Amazing Race episode. lol We decided to skip the hazelnut, because we thought it was too much trouble buying a whole container of hazelnut and then have to grind them at home. We also forgot to buy the canned mandarins... Kev thought I didn't like them and that I purposely omitted them. We also didn't bother buying Cajun spices, because we had all the ingredients to make our own. Except, I used garlic salt and onion powder instead.

When we got home, it was only 4pm...too early for supper. So we went to take a nap...a 3 hour nap. Since it was the first time making this, i wasn't sure how long it would take. Well...it passed one of Kev's crucial rules...it was on the table in 30 minutes.

The fish was delicious and not dry. The Cajun breadcrumbs was nice, but what i really liked was the dressing. It was just delicious. I used to hate coriander, but now i like it. Kev didn't like the coriander, so I ended up with more. Yay. :) I would definitely make this again.

Make-your-own Pizza night

Over the weekend, I felt a little lazy thinking up what to cook. My co-worker had previously told me about his homemade pizza nights he has with his wife. They would buy pre-made pizza pie crusts, buy the ingredients they want and then make their own. So I suggested it to Kev, and he said ok. Preparing the ingredients took the longest...grating cheese, cutting veggies...

We bought a pack of thin-crust pizza by Ziggy. It came with two packets of tomato sauce. But I'd suggest getting canned or jarred pizza sauce. Ziggy missed the boat on pizza sauce. Kevin didn't quite mind it, his complaint was that he used too much. He used both packets, since I wanted Pesto as my pizza sauce.

Kevin's pizza consisted of sliced pepporoni, sliced onions, sliced green peppers, and cheddar cheese. We had a block of cheddar cheese left over from making scalloped potatoes a few days ago. I had asked him if he wanted to buy mozzarella, but since we don't finish cheese very quickly, we didn't want to have too many leftover in the fridge and go moldy. (This is odd to me, because cheese in the fridge at my old place with rachelle would be eaten within a week...we love cheese). Kev also wanted sausage or beef on his pizza, but thought it was too much trouble to prepare.

My pizza has a slightly nicer presentation I guess. Since I don't eat veggies enough, I was craving a veggy pizza. With the pesto base sauce, I added sliced onions, sun-dried tomatoes, sliced tomatoes, chopped green peppers, and goat cheese. Goat cheese is my new cheese obsession. My last one was swiss cheese. I find it funny that I like goat cheese, because i don't eat goat meat or lamb. I also bought frozen chopped spinach, but then forgot to add it onto my pizza. Kevin tasted my pizza and admitted it was yummier than his own. Victory! lol

I'd definitely have another make-your-own pizza night, but i think I will make Kevin's pizza for him.