Giving up potato chips for a year (day 42)

Forbidden yumminess

Yes, I know. WHY ON EARTH WOULD I GIVE UP POTATO CHIPS FOR A YEAR?!  To be honest, I have no idea...well, I do.  I made a secret deal with Gouda (God + Buddha) that if I got a specific something, I would give up chips for a year. And since Gouda held up their/his end of the bargain, I had to hold up mine.

And let me tell you - it's tough. To be plain honest, it sucks. (I'd use other, less, socially acceptable words, but I'm forcing myself to uphold certain standards).

You might be thinking, of all the things in the whole, wide world, why potato chips? Well, the reason is because potato chips are probably my favourite food in the whole, wide world.

I love potato chips.  From the crinkly sound of the bag to the awesome crunch of thick, rippled chips, in sour cream and onion flavour (though right now, I'd settle for a bag of plain old kettle chips), I love everything there is to love about potato chips.

The problem is, potato chips are everywhere. From grocery stores, to meetings, to my parents' OWN kitchen (thanks, Faja Man), I am constantly forced to exercise my teeny, tiny willpower. And when that doesn't work, the bargaining begins.

After all, what constitutes a potato chip? *Technically*, Cheetos, Ringolos and onion rings AREN'T chips. But every time I pick up a bag of these *technically-not-chips* products, I'm wracked with guilt. So I end up not eating them.

And yes, I am aware this pain and suffering is self-inflicted.  But that doesn't mean you can't feel bad for me.

So the next time you eat a potato chip, think of me, and maybe have another one in my honour.  (Though maybe not in front of me).

Holiday season get-togethers

Scallops w/salmon mousse in balsamic reduction

One of my favourite things about the holiday season is getting together with friends and family. It doesn't matter if you don't see each other often - as soon as you get together, the conversation picks up where you last left off.

Mushroom risotto

Last night, I had dinner with my friend M and her husband the Food Fella. I was treated to a number of yummy dishes, including, scallops topped with salmon mousse in a balsamic reduction, mushroom risotto, and chicken with roasted and grilled veggies in a espagnole sauce (see pretty pics!).

Chicken in espagnole sauce

Over wine, dinner, dessert and then more wine, we talked and caught up on each others' lives.

The holidays give all of us the perfect excuse to get back in touch. If you haven't already, reach out :)

The perfect chocolate chip cookie

There's something comforting about warm chocolate chip cookies, especially going into the holiday season. And while I don't have the biggest sweet tooth in the world, I definitely love the smell of them.

In the last year or so, I've tested 13 chocolate chip cookie recipes, but my favourite recipe by far is this one by Martha Stewart (seriously, she's a genius). Crisp on the outside and chewy on the inside, these cookies have (IMO) a perfectly balanced texture.

I found the original recipe waaaaaaay too sweet, so I played around with the amount of sugar used.  Below is the recipe with my notes.  Also, I find this recipe actually yields about 26 or so cookies instead of the 20 or so listed.

Another idea: substitute 1/2 the chocolate chips for semi-sweet chocolate chunks.

Happy baking!

(Reminder: make sure your eggs and butter are room temperature)

Ingredients
- 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
- 1 1/4 cups packed dark-brown sugar (reduced to 0.75 cups)
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar (reduced to 1/3 cup)
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Directions
- Sift together flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Beat butter and sugars with a mixer on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 4 minutes.
- Beat in eggs 1 at a time.
- Add vanilla.
- Reduce speed to low.
- Add flour mixture; beat until combined.
- Mix in chocolate chips.
- Using a 2 1/4-inch ice cream scoop (about 3 tablespoons), drop dough onto parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing about 2 inches apart.
- Bake until golden around edges but soft in the middle, about 15 minutes.
- Let cool for 5 minutes.
- Transfer cookies to a wire rack, and let cool completely.

Chunky apple muffins

Apples are one of my favourite fruits - they last forever and work well with both sweet and savoury dishes. I've been on a baking roll these days and wanted to do something with apples. Enter Martha (yes, again). I found this recipe on her site.

I didn't really tinker as there isn't much sugar used in the recipe (normally I reduce sugar by about 1/2).  The muffins turned out moist and the recipe was so easy to follow. Plus it didn't take much time to make. Definitely a good recipe for home cooks like me.

P.S. The family loved them!

Golda's Kitchen

It's no secret I'm a Christmas nut (yes, I'm the girl who has her tree up and most shopping done by December 1) - anything that has to do with Christmas brings me joy. It's especially fun for me when I'm able to combine my love of food with some Yule Tide spirit. Enter holiday baking. Last year, instead of store-bought presents, I decided to give most of the people in my life an assortment of homemade treats. It was such a success that I've decided to do the same thing this year. 

I housed my cookies in holiday-themed tins from the Dollar Store. The tins worked okay, but because there weren't any separate compartments, I found it difficult to keep the cookies apart (in my world, different flavoured cookies cannot touch...cross-flavour contamination merits its own blog post). I did some research and stumbled across Golda's Kitchen, an online store (which recently opened a physical location) that sells anything and everything related to cooking - including cookie boxes with separate compartments.

Golda's Kitchen is like Michael's - but focused entirely on cooking. Prices for many items are also slightly lower at Golda's.

Located at 2885 Argentia Road (unit 6) in Mississauga, Golda's Kitchen is a little bit off the beaten path. But I have to tell you: the drive is worth it.

P.S. I did get my cookie boxes. I'll post pics after I start to bake goodies for them. I'm still working out which 4 cookies to bake. So far: chocolate crackle, chocolate chip, chocolate cinnamon and TBC.

Pumpkin pecan dream

Up until recently, all I've really done is bake cookies - cakes and cupcakes were too intimidating, but with nearly 3 years of baking experience under my belt, I decided it was time to take on this challenge. I have to say that I've screwed up my fair share of recipes, but I have also taken quite a few and successfully made them my own.

This following recipe - one I'd like to call pumpkin pecan dream (the dream part comes from the fact that the marshmallows I added to the recipe remind me of pillows) is one that I can truly call my own.

Check this out and let me know how it goes!

Ingredients
- 18 medium are large cupcake liners
- 3/4 cup canola oil plus more for pan
- 3 cups of all-purpose flour 
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1.5 cups pumpkin puree 
- 1.25 cup plain low-fat yogurt 
- 3 large eggs
- 0.75 cups of brown sugar + 2 teaspoons for sprinkling
- 1.5 cups of coarsely chopped pecans  
-   36 mini marshmallows (an Olivia addition)

**Make sure all ingredients are room temperature

Directions

- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush 12 jumbo muffin tins (each with a 1-cup capacity) with oil; set aside. (The recipe actually makes about 18 muffins if you’re using a standard cupcake tray - adjust number of marshmallows based on the size of your tray)
- In a medium bowl, whisk flours, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, and baking soda; set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk oil, pumpkin puree, yogurt, eggs, and 1 cup sugar to combine; add 1 cup walnuts and reserved dry ingredients. Mix just until moistened (do not overmix).
- Fill the muffin tins about a 1/3 of the way and then push a mini marshmallow into the middle. Fill the muffin tins with the rest of the batter – making sure it’s only about 75% full. Pull another marshmallow into the middle so that the top is showing. Sprinkle tops with remaining walnuts/pecans and sugar.  Bake until toothpick is inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean, roughly 30-35 minutes.  Cool 5 minutes in pan. Move to cookie racks for further cooling.  (Note the baking time is shorter because the muffins are slightly smaller).

Boylan Diet Cream Soda

I recently had a wisdom tooth removed (yep, 1 tooth since the other one isn't ready yet...which means I'll have to suffer all over again), so eating solid foods has been a literal pain. Therefore it's fitting that while I'm unable unable to eat solids, I stumbled across a drink by Boylan Bottling Company - Diet Creme.

Boylan makes gourmet soda pops. Each serving comes in its own vintage looking glass bottle - which adds to the entire soda pop experience. That's right - soda pop - not just pop.

Diet Creme tastes like cream soda with sugar, which is incredible to me. I favour diet pop since sugar pop messes with my system, so I'm used to the chemically tastes of aspartame, giving it a fake - and sometimes, a not-so-yummy aftertaste. But this...THIS tastes real (and it has 0 calories - another bonus!)

Diet Creme - the taste, the bottle...the entire thing demands that you slow down and savour this drink.

While it's not something I can have often (at $2.02 tax included from Pusateri's it`s nearly double the price of regular pop), this is definitely a once in awhile treat. A deliciously refreshing treat :)

Carens Wine and Cheese Bar

Let me start by saying I REALLY need a new camera. The one on my beloved phone just doesn't do culinary works of art any justice - especially when it's dark. Having said this, I will post the pictures I took because they're the only visuals I have.

My work wife and I, D went to Carens Wine and Cheese Bar at 158 Cumberland Street last night for an impromptu dinner. (I completely forgot TIFF was happening, so Yorkville was hopping more than usual on a Friday night. No movie star sightings, but we did see a few strange characters).

We sat outside - Carens has a lovely patio, and for those who get chilly, each table has its own red afghan.  The menu offers a good selection of dishes - each dish incorporating at least one type of cheese. 

D ordered the Stilton Stuffed Burger (topped with cognac sauteed mushrooms and housed in an onion bun). Now, I'm not a fan of cheeses that are blue and stinky but, MAN, this burger was amazing (D gave me 1/8 of   her dinner). I find stilton cheese overwhelming - similar to how I feel about lamb - it's a bit too strong and gamey for me. But THIS burger sat on a small bed of arugula, a bitter green that cuts through the strong taste and provides a balance to the meal. I can honestly see myself ordering this dish, stinky cheese and all.

I ordered the Sticky Beef Ribs, which came with roasted corn and a side of spicy macaroni and cheese. The ribs were cooked in an orange glaze sauce, the texture: completely fall off the bone. My only complaint was that the ribs were lukewarm when they were served (but this could've been due to the fact that we were sitting outside). The corn was nicely charred and the mac and cheese...oh...the mac and cheese, despite being a side dish completely stole the show. 

Four types of cheeses - sao miguel, cheddar, Swiss and parmigiano reggiano in a spicy sauce. Mmmm...all I can say is that I savoured every single bite and was scraping the bottom of the ramekin. Not too heavy and not overly creamy, this was probably the best mac and cheese I've ever had in my life.

And then there was more...having enjoyed an amazing meal, D and I both ordered dessert. She had the chocolate lava cake - it was warm, with just the right amount of sweetness, and had a taste of orange liquer in it.

I had a cold dessert...vanilla panna cotta - which ranked right up there with the mac and cheese. I enjoyed every single bite and was actually sad to finish the last bite. 

Great company, good conversation and one of the tastiest meals I've had in a very long time. What a lovely way to kick off the weekend.

Restaurant rating: Definitely worth an extra hour or two at the gym.

P.S. I should also say that every dish we had was paired with a different kind of wine. I won't go too much into this, but my tastebuds were definitely singing by the end of the night.

Culinary paradise in the middle of nowhere

I spent the last 4.5 days in Churchill, Manitoba - population: 990, 700, or 550, depending on who you talk to. Located roughly 1,005 KM northeast of Winnipeg, Churchill is by far, one of the most remote places I have ever been. Famously known as the polar bear capital of the world, the town is roughly one city block from end-to-end and can be strolled through in about 8 minutes (faster if you're being chased by a bear...just kidding...if you're ever attacked by a polar bear, it's a fight for your life - you'll never outrun it - they can get upwards of 50 KPH).

I arrived to no cell phone reception (ahem...Rogers), but thanks to the Lazy Bear Lodge (where, btw, Prime Minister Stephen Harper stayed in August 2010...if it's good enough for the PM, it's good enough for me), I had access to WIFI, which meant e-mail, Facebook, Twitter and BBM. I also arrived to the first of many amazing meals - some of the best I'd ever had in my life.

My first meal was at the Lazy Bear, where I had the choice of several local specialties, including muskox and caribou. After much hemming and hawing, I decided on the Arctic char, baked in dill and served in a butter sauce. There were also veggies and sweet potato mash, but the star was definitely the char...though the fries and gravy deserve a special mention.

The char was incredible...the texture is somewhere between salmon and halibut, but the appearance resembles trout. The butter sauce was delicious, though not something I could have everyday.

I was there with a business contact JL - now friend - who was kind enough to share her caribou with me. The caribou had the texture of pot roast and reminded me of a stronger, gamier kind of beef. This is the Lodge's most well-known dish - and for good reason. I'm not one to eat lamb or anything stronger than beef or pork, but this caribou...I could see myself ordering it. It was THAT good.

Beyond the Lodge, there are a few more places to eat, but the most well-known would have to be Gypsy's. A one-stop shop for breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert, Gypsy's is a bakery/diner and by far, the most frequented place for food in Churchill. I've been there for every eating event listed above and each time I was blown away.

The owner, Helen is from Portugal and has been running the place for 10 years. Along with her family, the restaurant runs like a well-oiled machine. Not knowing what to eat my first time there, Helen's son recommended I try the spicy pork sandwich, smothered in onions with a side of fries. Let's just say there were no leftovers. In fact, I even ate ALL the bread, which I tend not to do because I worry about carbs.

I also tried (on the next day), the sausage sandwich - but without the fries. Again, I ate everything - it was just too good not to.

And I haven't even talked about the pastries yet. I consider myself a pecan/butter tart snob, but Gypsy's once again, managed to impress. JL tried the apple fritter...but it was made special just for her. Helen's son cut the fritter in half, slathered it in butter and warmed it up. JL described the snack as heavenly.

I myself, had a freshly baked rhubarb pie with not one, but TWO scoops of vanilla ice cream. To be clear, I find rhubarb disgusting, but this...THIS was a party in my mouth.

I have to add that Martha Stewart has also visited Gypsy's and found it to be incredible. In fact, numerous autographed photos from different celebrities and dignitaries adorn the walls of this place.

Then there Tundra. A bar/pub that's part of Tundra Inn across the street, Tundra proved to be the biggest culinary surprise of all. I wasn't sure about the pierogies, but they were the best I'd ever had. Pan-fried and covered with onions and real bacon (none of those artificial bacon bits), I'm willing to bet that even my pierogie connoisseur friend would rave about these things.

But eating in Churchill isn't limited to the indoors - there are plenty of yummy outdoor foods too. Just outside of Churchill proper is a wealth of fresh berries - raspberries, gooseberries, cloudberries and blueberries. The blueberries were by far my favourite. While smaller in size than what we get here in Ontario, these blueberries are also much sweeter. I must've ate 2 cups of fresh-picked ones (no worries about pesticides here). The local berries also get made into jams - all of which I brought back.

I wasn't sure what to expect when I was being sent to Churchill for work, but I definitely wasn't thinking culinary paradise. Would I ever go back to Churchill? Yes: for the whales, for the polar bears and definitely for the food.

Albatros pub

It's no secret I heart food, but I would say by far, some of my favourite foods are ones made to comfort.

When I first started working, I remember going across the street to a small Polish cafe where a teeny, tiny Polish grandma would prepare the most amazing culinary delights. This was when, as a 23 year old girl, I discovered pierogies and schnitzel. It was here that I learned to take breaks from work and take some time for myself - even if it was only for a few minutes.

It's been nearly a decade, I'm no longer 23 (actually, I can reverse the digits), at a different company and well, the Polish cafe is now a Chinese sandwich place. The only thing that remains? My love for pierogies and schnitzel.

This past weekend, I got to relive some of my culinary memories at Albatros Pub on 3057 Lakeshore Blvd West, in Etobicoke. My good friend brought me here for a couple of beers (Czechvar) and a LOT of delicious, delicious food. We had a platter for 2, and on it were 3 different types of boiled pierogies (though my friend insists pan-fried would be MUCH better), filled with cheese/potatoes, meat and mushrooms. Sour cream is a must (go big or go home, right?)

We also had schnitzel (drool) which wasn't oily at all, potato pancakes (mmm...), coleslaw, beet + horseradish slaw and boiled potatoes (which were okay). The platter was sprinkled with dill throughout, and rather than being over-powering, actually pulled the different elements of the platter together. 

Warning: I loved the decor because it's very eclectic. My friend thought it was cheesy. Apparently it looks like Santa exploded around the holidays. Mental note: must go back around the holidays.

Restaurant rating: Definitely worth an extra hour or two at the gym.

(Apologies for the lack of pictures, but it was too dark.)

Freshii Frozen Yogurt

I've been gorging myself on frozen yogurt from Freshii since May. Every week, at least twice (okay, fine...3 times), I, along with some of my colleagues have faithfully made the trek to Freshii at 35 Bloor Street East (trek might be an exaggeration of distance, since it's literally downstairs in my work building).

I have to say, this is THE best frozen yogurt I've ever had in my life. It's creamy and sweet, with a texture that's similar to soft ice cream. The best part of it all? It's literally only 100 calories or so for the small yogurt. My favourite toppings are double strawberry. If you haven't tried this, I strongly recommend you do so.

Restaurant rating: Definitely worth an extra hour or two at the gym. (But it's TOTALLY not necessary).

The heavier side of life...diabetes

A lot of people don’t know this, but a few years ago, I was diagnosed as type 1 diabetic.  What this meant – and will mean until a cure is discovered – is that I’m insulin dependent and have to think about every single thing I eat. It means being hyper-sensitive about food, exercise and taking an active role in my well-being.

Here’s the tough part: I love food and hate exercise.  I also love to cook (and bake) a lot – which means that sampling – even for the sake of making sure what I’m making is edible, is tough.

When I was first diagnosed, I was angry – why? Because I love eating. And also because I had to change my habits – which, was basically the bottom line. Also, it isn’t fair, but that opens up an entirely different can of worms.

Change is tough. In fact, change sucks. Why? Because we are creatures of habit. But I had – and have – no choice. If I want to live until the ripe old age of 90 (that’s right), I needed to learn how to take care of myself.

I had to learn about the Glycemic Index (or GI - a rating system that tells you how quickly foods will break down in your system…the higher the GI, the faster it breaks down in your system, causing a sugar spike and unnecessary stress on your body).

I had to learn about carb counting and sugar measuring (joy to the world), so that I could determine how much insulin I needed to inject into my system (3 needles a day into my stomach – one with each meal – which oddly enough, doesn’t hurt at all. There’s also a fourth needle with a different kind of insulin that I need to take before I sleep).

I had to learn about the effects of alcohol – which can lower sugar levels, causing hypoglycemia. If sugar levels are too low, it can do permanent damage to the body – because ultimately, low sugar levels can lead to seizures. 

But before the seizures set in, there are a bunch of warning signs that I am very aware of: double vision or blurry vision; *fast or pounding heartbeat; *feeling cranky or acting aggressive; *feeling nervous; *headache; *hunger; *shaking or trembling; *sleeping trouble; *sweating; tingling or numbness of the skin; *tiredness or weakness; and *unclear thinking.

(Luckily, I’ve never – touch wood – ever, experienced a seizure. I always carry candy with me to boost my sugar levels up when needed).

And to top this off, insulin causes weight gain. Which means calorie control.

Did I mention that I HATE exercise?  And I do exercise – but this also goes back to hypoglycemia – because physical activity can lower blood sugar levels too much.

What a lovely disease, type 1 diabetes is, eh?

To be fair though, the diagnosis wasn’t a complete surprise. Diabetes (type 1 and 2) runs on both sides of my family, so my doctor has been looking for it since I was 12. I was diagnosed as pre-diabetic when I was in my early 20s, so I was already familiar with testing my blood sugar levels (i.e. finger stabbing) regularly. I was also put on metformin, a pill I had to take whenever I ate.

But being pre-diabetic and having type 1 diabetes is very different. In fact, it’s a completely different ball game – with so many more complications.

For example, if I develop an infection (i.e. ear, nose, throat) and need to go on antibiotics, I need to be careful because antibiotics can affect my body’s ability to absorb the insulin I put into my system, which can increase sugar levels.

If I’m stressed, I need to de-stress (enter baking because it forces me to concentrate completely on something) and be careful because it can increase sugar levels.

If I’m busy and get distracted and just randomly put food into my system, I need to be careful because lots of foods are carb heavy, and it can increase sugar levels.

These are the daily battles.

Long-term, diabetes can lead to kidney failure, increased risk of heart disease, etc., etc., etc.,

But that’s not to say it’s all doom and gloom. What I’ve learned in the last little while is to actively take care of myself. I read all I can about diabetes. I read about new treatments, clinical trials (I even enrolled myself into a trial when I first found out) and about other people’s experiences.

When I was first diagnosed, I was afraid to eat. I didn’t understand diabetes and it was something I ran away from for a little while. But slowly, I began to understand.

Do I ever sit down to a huge piece chocolate cake or a plate full of potatoes? Sometimes. But that’s a BIG treat. Indulgence isn’t bad. Just like being diabetic isn’t all bad. It forces me into a healthier lifestyle. And in the end, it’s all about balance.

I’ve made my peace with being diabetic. Though some days are tougher than others.

If you’re reading this, thanks for taking the time to understand.

*Symptoms I’ve experienced.

Strawberry cake

A yummy summer treat!

I'm determined to make the most out of strawberry season! I've already made strawberry cookies and now, I'm onto strawberry cake! Martha has a great seasonal section for recipes and strawberries are a featured ingredient. I didn't tinker too much with the recipe - just reduced the sugar by a bit and stretched out the cooking time by about 10 minutes.

This cake has gotten many compliments! It's easy to make, easy to bake and most importantly, EXTREMELY yummy! Happy Strawberry Season!

Strawberry shortcake cookies

There's something so inviting about a plump and perfectly ripe strawberry. Just the visual of it - the dark red fruit against the bright green top. And the smell...you can smell how the sugar in the strawberry balances the inherent sourness. When it comes to summer fruits, it's definitely one of my favourites.

But me, being restless at times, wanted to see if I could work with Martha again to try and bring 2 of my loves together: strawberries and cookies. I found this recipe on her site and decided to try it. 

To start, the raw batter smelled AMAZING...exactly like strawberry shortcake. The consistency of the raw dough was also beautiful to look at - just like vanilla ice cream with fresh strawberries inside. My only complaint is that the recipe doesn't call for enough cream -  it calls for 2/3 cup, but I'd say it's closer to 8/10 before the dough becomes sticky enough to work with.

The cookies were also less like a cookie and more like a tea biscuit. Definitely delicious though - in fact, I'd make these babies again in a heartbeat. (Apologies - I forgot to take pics of the finished product!)

2011 Chef's Challenge kick-off

Discussing strategy

There are times when my job intersects with things I'm passionate about, and today was one of those times.

Today marks the official kick-off of the 2011 Chef's Challenge: The Ultimate Battle for a Cure. Presented by World MasterCard to raise funds for Mount Sinai Hospital's fight against breast and ovarian cancers, the event is every food-lover's dream come true.

The coveted trophy

The premise is simple: register by July 21 for the challenge here, and between now and November 26 and raise as much money as you can (a minimum of $2,500). If you're one of the top 60 fundraisers, you'll not only get to attend the official challenge, you'll actually get to cook on one of the teams! This year's line-up of team leaders? Chuck Hughes, David Rocco, Lynn Crawford, Mark McEwan, Massimo Capra and Nadia Giosa. And of course, the event wouldn't be complete without one of the world's most famous celebrity chefs to host - the throwdown king himself, Bobby Flay.

The prize? Bragging rights for the next year and your team name on the trophy.

Here are a few pics from today's launch event.  Oh...and the food was incredible!

Duck pate & fruit compote

Proscuitto, parmesan & watercress

Eggplant parmesan

Mustard seed and pate

Applebee's

We've all been tempted by the allure of cross-border shopping. With the strong Canadian dollar, and well, the thrill of saving just a little bit of money in taxes, a friend and I decided to cross the border this weekend into OUTLET SHOPPING TERRITORY (a.k.a. Fashion Outlets, Niagara Falls, USA)

After a fairly uneventful drive, we decided to fill our bellies with a quick lunch before beginning our shopping mission. There was an Applebee's conveniently located at the edge of the outlet mall, so we decided to eat there.

The menu boasts a fairly robust salad menu. Encouraged, I settled on a steak and potato salad on spinach, while my friend had some kind of appetizer trio (sliders, boneless wings and I think quesadilla).

I have to be fair and say the service was excellent - in fact our server was extremely attentive. We really did have amazing service.

The food on the other hand was well...less than stellar. The salad was drenched in dijon dressing. I actually couldn't find any spinach without dressing. The potatoes were overbuttered...injected with butter...and since they weren't hot enough, were greasy and oily. The steak was also tough and overdone. I love salads, but this one, I really couldn't go through more than a quarter. I was actually quite queasy from the dressing.

My friend fared no better with his appetizer trio. The buns for the sliders were stale...and well...stale. Sliders are mini burgers, and something I hold near and dear. The best burgers have the best buns. This is a sacred rule. Chose the wrong bun and the entire burger experience goes out the window. And when the bun is stale? It's just plain wrong. The cheese wasn't quite melted all the way...and the quesadilla...well...soggy seems to be an understatement...

It was a mixed experience for us...good service usually accompanies good food, so for the food to be so bad...it just wastes the friendly atmosphere the great staff at Applebee's tries to create.

Restaurant rating: Run fast and run far / may cause stomach ulcers. (My friend could probably attest to this. His stomach was pretty angry).

P.S. The best deals of the day? $5 Nike t-shirt and $10 Gap cargo pants!

Homemade chicken salad on greens

Randomness prevails!

Considering all the rain we've had this spring, the sun is always a welcome sight. And with the sun comes warmer weather. Like most folks, the last thing I want to do is sit down and eat a big meal. Exercise (bleh) and salad call out to me. So today, after a hatless run, I dug into my fridge to see what I could pull together for dinner.

Cue leftover boiled chicken (thanks, Mom), some condiments, spices, greens and sweet red pepper, and 10 minutes later...homemade chicken salad on greens. I love it when randomness turns into yumminess.

(Note: I didn't add any salt because the chicken was already salted)

Ingredients:

- 1 cup of cold cooked chicken (sliced, diced or in chunks)

- 1/2 teaspoon of dijon mustard

- 1 teaspoon of mayonnaise (I used Hellman's light olive oil mayo)

- 1/2 teaspoon of ketchup

- dash of pepper

- dash of parsley

- romaine lettuce (cleaned and cut)

- 1 red pepper (cleaned and sliced)

Instructions

- Plate greens and pepper

- Beyond this...mix all the other ingredients together

- Done!

My foray into Yoga A.K.A. another way to try and burn calories

A friend gave me a gift certificate to Bikram Yoga, also known as "hot yoga". The premise is simple: you do yoga in a room that is designed to heat up to 42 degrees Celsius. I’ve done yoga before so have a rough idea of how it works. I do cardio 3-4 times a week, eat (reasonably) healthy, so when my friend gave me the gift certificate, I thought, sure, why not?

I packed my gym bag and headed over to the yoga studio after work.The first thing that struck me is how quiet it was. A man behind the counter instructed me to take off my shoes, and fill out some forms. “First time?” he asks.  

“Kinda.” I reply.

“You’ll love it,” he says. “Just watch the other students, remember to breathe properly, and here’s the hardest part: try to stay through the entire session.”

What does he mean by try stay the entire session? Why wouldn’t I?

I ponder this as I head toward the back of the studio and into the women’s change room. I opened the door to the change room and had to take a step back. The smell wasn’t dirty exactly, but a bit rubbery maybe and like gyms, had a faint smell of sweat.  

The room is lined with benches and sitting on one of the benches were two girls waiting to get into the same session I was heading into. Trying to get a beat on things, I say, “It’s my first class here...any words of advice?”  

The taller of the two girls looks at me and replies, “It’s my second class and I didn’t make it through my first one. The session is 90 minutes long - about 30 minutes too long for me. It’s intense.”

I thank the girl for her advice and quickly get changed. I’m a little nervous now. That’s the second time someone has referenced it being difficult to stay the entire class. How tough can 90 minutes of Bikram Yoga be?

I soon find out. The session ahead of us finishes and out comes a group of sticky, smelly, drenched in their own sweat men and women. I take a deep breath and armed with my towel, yoga mat and water bottle, step into the room.

Softly lit, the walls are lined with floor-to-ceiling mirrors. It`s also quiet. I turn to ask another student a question and she quickly puts her fingers to her lips. “We’re not supposed to talk in here,” she whispers. Seeing that I’m new, she takes the yoga mat and towel from my hands and lays them down onto the floor for me. I smile and nod to thank her for helping me. “Good luck,” she mouths.

I look around and see other students lying down on their yoga mats, so I do the same. The room fills quickly and before I know it, there are 23 of us lying on the floor.

I have been on my mat for only a few minutes, but already, I can feel myself sweating. What have I gotten myself into?

I’ve barely formed this thought when the yoga instructor walks in. He greets the class and acknowledges four of us by name - all first timers to the class. “Do whatever it is you need to - lie down, take a sip of water, but please do try to stay in the room for the entire class. And remember: breathe through your nose.”

Oh boy.

Slowly, we get into the exercises. Okay, so far so good. I follow the instructor as he explains each one, being careful to watch myself in the mirror to make sure I am getting the poses right.

I have trouble getting my hands and feet into the positions they’re supposed to be in, so I watch the other students, copying what they do, when I notice it. Their focused yet unfocused expressions: they are all here, but not. They are all lost within their own thoughts, struggling to get into position, or in most cases, stay in position.

I soon become lost in my own thoughts, trying to breathe through my nose. I am bending myself and trying to keep from falling, all the while dripping sweat onto the floor. I look up, trying to find a clock on the wall, but no. Time does not exist here. Only focus and breathing.  

I open my water bottle and take a deep gulp. The water soothes me a little and I keep on going. I have no idea how long has passed, only that my muscles ache and it’s getting more and more difficult to breathe. My mind drifts back to those words I’d heard not so long ago: Try to stay through the entire session. And it occurs to me that I might not be able to.

With my left arm pointing forward and my right leg almost above my head, I’m now in battle with myself.  I will myself to breathe slowly. Inhale, exhale, inhale, exhale. I know it’s cheating to breathe through my mouth, but I can’t help it. I take a few big gulps of air through my mouth and force myself to breathe only through my nose again.  

I continue following the instructor, and then I can no longer follow along. I lie down on the yoga mat, palms up. My sweat drips backward into my nose and I breathe too quickly. Like a swimmer breathing water through their nose, I am hit with that cold drowning sensation. I feel my heart rate go up...am I going to even make it through this session lying down?

My brain vaguely registers that two students walk out while the one to my left also lies down.

I try to get up on my right elbow, but I am slick with sweat and slip back onto the ground. I lie down again and continue focusing as hard as I can on breathing.

A few moments later, I feel my heartbeat slow down and my breathing start to steady. I take another gulp of water and force myself to rejoin the class. I will finish.

Awkwardly, I bend myself into the different positions, again, forcing myself to control my breathing, when I hear those magic words: “Last set of exercises.”

The last set fly by and the class ends. “Good work, newbies. Hope to see you again soon.”

I slowly gather my things and leave the room, where cool, normal, proper room temperature air awaits me.  As I mop myself with my towel, I breathe in this air with new-found appreciation.

Something is different though: it’s quiet, but it’s a good quiet. It’s the quiet you get when you just accomplished something great - when you get into battle with yourself and you emerge victorious. I feel victorious. I survived Bikram Yoga!

Holding onto this feeling, I get changed and start making my way towards the door. The instructor sees me and pulls me aside. “Great job for sticking it through to the end.”  

“Thanks,” I say. “It was hard, but I have a new found appreciation.”

“Great,” he replies enthusiastically. “See you again soon?”

I smile and nod politely.  Maybe...definitely maybe.

"Easter" menu

I often use major holidays as an excuse to cook for many. Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving - it's all the same to me. My family invites people over and I take over the kitchen. Tomorrow is no different - there are 16 in total, and in true A-type personality fashion, I'm going to slave in the kitchen for 2 days straight.  This is what I'm attempting - wish me luck:

Appetizers: 
- Smoked salmon eggs
- Fried artichokes w/lemon garlic aioli

Mains:
- Prime rib roast w/glazed carrots & roasted garlic bulbs
- Salmon fillet on a bed of rapini in rose sauce

Sides:
- Roasted beets
- Quinoa salad w/herbs
- Spring peas w/onions & mushrooms
- Mashed potatoes w/grated parmesan

Dessert:
- Blueberry cheesecake
- Coconut cookies
- Chocolate chip cookies

Budyń o smaku (raspberry pudding)

I heart trying new things. And being a food-hearter (apparently the word "foodie" is taboo now), I especially heart trying new foods. It always amazes me when I discover foods that are a simple (and perhaps common?) pleasure from one culture and how that food can be completely unknown to everyone else.

This weekend, I was lucky enough to try budyń o smaku (which I think, roughly translates from Polish to English as raspberry pudding...apologies if I got the translation wrong). The pudding mixture comes prepackaged (the one I tried was made by Nestlé) and starts in powder form.

I watched my friend make this dessert, and from what I gather, the cooking process goes like this: heat up milk, add powder to milk (mixing constantly), stir, wait for the mixture to thicken, pour into bowl, serve hot or cold (the instructions I've found online are in Polish, so I'm strictly pulling this from my memory).

The process reminded me of making Jello - except it was faster and dare I say it? Yummier.

The pudding tasted milky/creamy and the consistency was nice and thick (in many ways, it reminded me of steamed Chinese egg custard). There was a subtle taste of raspberries (though I'm told it comes in many different flavours) and the best part of it? It was just the right amount of sweet.

I ate the bowl of pudding with wonder, savouring every spoonful and marveling at the wonderful consistency. It was warm and soothing - good for when the nights are cold. And the best part of it all?  I got a doggy bag (bowl?), which is now sitting in the fridge. It's supposed to be even yummier when it's cold...I can't wait until tomorrow...is it okay to have dessert immediately after breakfast?

Izba Restaurant

Definitely worth a visit.

Izba Restaurant, located at 648 The Queensway in Toronto/Etobicoke claims to have "the BEST schnitzel in town". And in my humble opinion, it's very possibly true.

I'm a fan of schnitzel and have had many different versions of it. I've also been disappointed many, many times. Too often, schnitzel is oily and flaky - the breadcrumbs falling off and the meat (pork and veal) waaaaaay too tough. But this....THIS was amazing.

Not oily, perfectly crisp, amazingly tender and awesomely spiced (yes, I know I'm using a lot of positive adjectives, but you would too if you'd tried it).  The funny thing? I didn't even order the schnitzel (that's right, I mooched off my friend's plate).

Instead, I ordered the pork tenderloin with pierogi (I've been DYING for pierogi, but that's a story for another day). The pierogi were served with sour cream and boiled (which, I'm told by my pierogi-connoisseur friend would've tasted much better had they been pan-fried), but to my Canadian Chinese palate, tasted great. Potatoes and cheddar wrapped inside a dumpling...mmmm...but I digress...

The pork tenderloin was tender - as in fall-off-the-other-parts-of-the-meat-tender, served with a sprinkle of dried parsley (hey, it works here) and a gravy I couldn't identify. There were also roasted potatoes (which this potato-connoisseur LOVED), braised cabbage (forever ruined because of the cabbage soup diet...thank you parents...) and boiled carrots (which I didn't touch).

It was by far one of the best comfort food meals I've had in a very long time, and definitely a belly-filling one.

The portions are generous, so be sure to go on an empty stomach.

Restaurant rating: Definitely worth an extra hour or two at the gym.

(Apologies for the lack of food pictures, but it was too dark for decent pics).

Duff's Famous Wings

Mmmm...wings...

I heart chicken wings.  Truly I do.  Spicy and sour. Crispy and crunchy.  Mmmm...and while everybody knows this already, I still have to say it: Duff's Famous Wings has the best chicken wings in Toronto.

I went to Duff's back in December with my Big Brother and had a blast. Over fun conversation, we shared wings, beers and the obligatory veggie sticks.

The atmosphere is friendly and was crowded for a Tuesday night. The staff was great and well...it was a wing place. Enough said.

Restaurant rating: Definitely worth an extra hour or two at the gym.

Ketchup and what?!

I believe ketchup is one of human kind's greatest culinary inventions. Its flavours are simple (sweet, sour and salty), but it's versatile enough to stand up to many different foods. I myself am a fan of ketchup on eggs, but am also partial to ketchup on fries (really, a no-brainer), ketchup on bread (it used to be a favourite after school snack) and ketchup on chicken. And a friend recently introduced me to ketchup on pizza (which, may seem redundant, somehow works.)

As I was enjoying my pizza and ketchup, I started to think about the origin of ketchup. It was then I decided to take a trip to Wikipedia.  Some of the more interesting things I learned:
- Ketchup was categorized by the U.S.' FDA as a SMOOTHIE (EW)
- Ketchup is good for you: it contains the anti-oxidant lycopene, which has been proven to prevent prostate and colon cancers (yay!)
- Ketchup is bad for you: one teaspoon is roughly 10 per cent of an adults recommended sodium intake (*sigh*)

On my trip, I made a detour to Heinz's web site and found a recipe for ketchup peanut butter cookies. Hmm...ketchup and peanut butter, eh?  Could be the next rage...or maybe ketchup cake (stay-tuned for how these culinary experiments turn out).

Rosedale Diner

The Rosedale Diner is one of Toronto's oldest eating establishments, but despite being around for 33 years, I've never been. A friend and I had dinner there a few weeks back to celebrate some good news. It was a random pick for us, but am I glad we picked this place!

I had the organic beef burger with fries and then shared the poutine au canard (duck poutine) with my friend (I know, I know, double fries, but like I said, we were celebrating!) And boy was it delicious.

The burger was juicy and cooked perfectly, with just enough seasoning. Instead of a traditional bun, the patty was served in a pita.  The fries (garlicky) were made with fresh potatoes and was deep-fried to crispy perfection.  

The duck poutine was amazing as well, but by the time it arrived, my friend and I had stuffed our respective faces with the burgers, and therefore didn't give the poutine the attention it deserved (though we still finished everything).

The cafe itself is quite small and intimate - but by no means snooty. It's the perfect place for old friends to catch up and celebrate good news.

Restaurant rating: Definitely worth an extra hour or two at the gym.