Monday, March 10, 2008

Gratitude

Sometimes, you just need a friend to listen to you, to distract you, to share their own stresses. I was very lucky on Saturday, as K and R took me off to the farmers market. I know, a farmer's market in March, crazy! It was a lot of fun, featuring a couple of interesting performers
 


The view from the farmers market was incredible as well and this photo does not do it justice.
 


After we shopped, R dropped K and I Cafe Barney on Granville and we had a good breakfast and a wonderfully therapeutic chat. (Thank you!!)
 


Anyway, two days later, Rob and I reaped the benefits of the market trip with Organic potatoes from Helmers, Mushrooms from somewhere else, greens from Langley growers and a nice free run chicken breast from Tenderland.

 

This is the mushroom saute action...

And the finished product:

Saturday, March 08, 2008

Indian Comfort Food

 

I know, two days in a row, my heading features the term "comfort food". Today's title refers to the name of a little stall on Granville Island where we enjoyed a meal.
Picture the scene....
You are having many drinks with friends at a lounge on the island with abysmal, overpriced food... You are starving, you need an alcohol soaker, your server offers to guard your table, drinks and all. You run over to the market, looking for something fast, tasty and reasonably priced. Enter Indian Comfort Food.

All five of us ordered the Dehli Wrap, filled with butter chicken, rice, mango chutney and other yummy things, served with a side of vegetables and extra butter chicken sauce.
It was enough to fortify us for another four hours of catching up and generally frightening other patrons of the lounge with our "kitchen language"...

Thursday, March 06, 2008

Comfort Food

 

As I mentioned in my last post, things haven't been 100%... Comfort food was needed. The picture sucks a little, but we had Sausages, Bubble and Squeak, Gravy and salad.

Wednesday, March 05, 2008

A lot on My Mind

I have a lot to think about right now and it seems to be pulling me down a little. It was an extreme effort just to make this simple meal last night, most of it mental effort...
 

Sablefish with a blood orange and star anise sauce, roasted asaparagus and sushi rice with green onion.

The Village Wine Shop Guy made another great recommendation, Quails Gate Chardonnay.

Somehow, I think it would taste sweeter if I wasn't so damn stressed and bogged down in thoughts. Here is just a sampling...
I am waiting (not patiently) for a referral to a dermatologist for a biopsy of a bizarre skin lesion on my shoulder...its been two days and still no phone call with the appointment.... I can't stop thinking about it; never mind that I ignored the damn thing for almost a year, I want results now!
My littlest sister is sick (siezures) , but communication is an issue, as is her steadfast refusal to see real doctors...So I have no real concept of what is going on and she is determined to go ahead with her wedding... A whole other can of worms for me.
I turn 29 in a month. No idea why that is weighing so heavily on my mind.
Should I stay or should I go? Have I learned all I can, gained all I can from my current employer? Or are my frustrations there just caused by my own worries at home?
OMG NEW YORK!!!!

Sunday, March 02, 2008

How much is too much?

OFF TOPIC WARNING

Okay, where does one draw the line on expensive skin care products? 20$? 50$? 162$?!!!!
I have thin, pale sensitive difficult facial skin. I usually don't use anything because products just do a number on my skin. Then I heard about this line, SK-II, from Japan. I ducked into Holt Renfrew today, just curious. One product in the whole line, the basic, you-must-have-this-product, is 162$ for a bottle ACCCK. The look on my face was probably a dead giveaway. The saleswoman handed me a one week free trial.
So first treatment went on today. Check back in a week and see how I feel about spending roughly 2$ per day on my face....

PS. Skin already feels tingly and smooth.

Saturday, March 01, 2008

Cooked My Goose

 


When I screw up, I REALLY screw up. THankfully, all I could do was laugh at this one. Alot.

Story:
Rob calls me "I'm bringing home free goose, legs and breast. Think of how you are going to cook it up for dinner".

I thought about it for a while and decided I would take the duck approach; they are both waterfowl, right?
I got a beautiful wine to pair with it "Jimmy My Pal". Despite the odd name, the wine was perfect, thanks to the reccomendations of the lovely people at Village Wines.
The goose arrived and it really did look like duck, so I soldiered ahead, searing the bits, then popping in the oven. My first mistake, I let the breast go slightly over... it was leaning more to medium than medium rare. My second mistake; thinking I knew what I was doing when it came to cooking the legs! I gave them more time than the breast, obviously, I made a delicious glaze/sauce with pomegranate molasses, red wine and honey, sauteed up some garlicky eggplant and served it all alongside a multigrain rice dish. The breast was tasy if a little tough. I tried to cut the leg... no dice. I picked it up and tried to bite it.... Then collapsed in laughter as my teeth refused to tear through the rubbery flesh. Rob gave it a shot as well. OMG, worst dish ever. I laughed some more, removed the legs from our plates and continued to enjoy the rest of the (delicious) meal.

Friday, February 29, 2008

Tuna Salad


A fast, simple, delicious and, I suspect, relatively healthy dinner.

Ingredients:
Tuna, well seasoned and seared rare
Eggs, cooked to desired doneness ( I love mine runny, so seven minutes in boiling water and straight into a cold water bath)
Olives, preferably nicoise, but any good variety will do.
Green beans, blanched
Ripe tomatoes, wedged
Potato ( i made a simple cold salad with a light vinaigrette)
Greens, your choice.
Coarse Salt
Cracked Pepper
Assemble, dress with favourite dressing, enjoy.

Tuesday, February 26, 2008

Chinatown



Sunday, sunshine and congee lured me over to china town. After lunch at Hon's in Chinatown, I grabbed an egg tart from New Town Bakery and wandered over to Dr. Sun Yat Sen Garden. The gardens are absolutely stunning, especially in the early spring sunshine....
IMG_9403
more photos can be seen on my flickr page.

Dinner, pictured here, was stirfry made up of ingredients purchased from T & T.


IMG_9416
Originally uploaded by kayaksoup

Sunday, February 24, 2008

Kitchen Shots

Bad blogger that I am, I do still take food pictures once in a while. Here is a collection of photos from the last two months, starting with new tears day.

Sablefish with Ham and Black-eyed Peas














Handmade Perogies and Polish Sausage from Edmonton Farmers Market














Jerk Rubbed Pork Tenderloin with roasted yams and Broccolini














Steamed Halibut With Szechuan Peppercorns

Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Kicking Myself....

Sunday was one of those amazing days in Vancouver. The sun shines for teh first time in a month and the whole city comes alive with crazy people , shivering on patios, running on the seawall, walking along the beach. I stopped at Go Fish for a season opening lunch and the moment was so perfect I was kicking myself for not bringing a camera. Sun shining, perfectly cooked fries in front of me, and incredible view of False Creek and Downtown. A big stupid smile on my face that matched the faces of those around me...

I know, I never write anymore, in fact I would be surprised if anyone actually reads me anymore! I have news though! I am going to New York in August, solo. I am so excited I can't stop thinking about it even though it is months away....

Sunday, December 30, 2007

LeftOvers!

 

Leftover roast becomes shepherds pie....

I simply cubed the leftover meat, about 3 cups worth, then sauteed onions and carrots. To the onions and carrots, I added leftover gravy, wine, more seasoning and a little bit of thickening action. I poured the sauce over the beef in a small glass baking dish, topping with mashed potatoes with one egg mixed in. Bake and eat!

Saturday, December 29, 2007

Vegetarian Lasagna

 

Last night's dinner was a lasagna with wild mushrooms, caramelised onions and arugula. Tasty goodness ~ so much for all that healthy eating I had planned. And hey, I am blowing off the gym right now to write this.

On the plus side, my friend at Barbara Jo's showed me a new cookbook that was very inspiring ~ Charlie Trotter's Spa Cuisine. Once you get past the million photos, the recipes are totally accessible and look very clean and simple. I am craving miso soup with mushrooms and poached egg... too bad we are having shepherds pie for dinner.
Recipe for Lasagna to follow... still working on it.

Thursday, December 27, 2007

Detoxify Me

 

Full of rich foods from Christmas dinner, starved of nutrients from a month of working too much and eating crappy food?
This should help ~ it certainly made me feel better!

Teriyaki Soba
serves 4

1 lb soba noodles
3 japanese eggplant, cut in medallions
1/2 lb king oyster mushrooms (regular are also okay)
2 peppers, julienned
1 lb baby bok choy, chopped
1 bunch green onions, chopped
1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
1 sheet toasted nori, julienned

Sauce:
4 tbsp chopped ginger
1 cup tamari
4 tbsp mirin
4 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1/2 tsp Himchimi Togarashi (Japanes chili powder)


1. Combine sauce ingredients, bring to a boil and simmer for five minutes. Remove from heat, allow to steep for 15 minutes, strain to remove chopped ginger, set aside.
2. Cook noodles according to pkge directions
3. While noodles are cooking, stir fry the vegetables, starting with eggplant and mushrooms. Then add the julienned peppers. Add a splash of sake or water to help speed the cooking process along. Add bok choy and sauce, allow to cook until vegetables are tender. Remove vegetablkes from wok and reduce the pan juice until thick and syrupy.
4. To serve, spoon vegetables over noodles, drizzle sauce over top and sprinkle with sesame seeds, nori threads and green onions.

From Rebar, with a few very minor modifications.

Thursday, November 08, 2007

New Town Bakery




We sat in the car eating the hot steamed pork buns, shrimp turnover and pork turnover. Outside, cold gray rain. Inside, delicious greasy food!

Sunday, November 04, 2007

Sunday Lunch


IMG_9054
Originally uploaded by kayaksoup
I stopped into the butcher/deli at So.cial for lunch today and had a small roast beef sandwich with soup.
To be honest, the soup did not thrill me (yes, I am a soup snob) but the sandwich was delicious. The specialty meats in the butcher case also looked delicious and I will have to go back when I have some money to spend on fun food.

Friday, October 26, 2007

Fall Days

I got lucky today! Rob and I had a rare day off together ~ I slept till 9:30, waking up to the smell of bacon (mmmm bacon). Rob made me a HUGE breakfast ( I didn't actually eat ALL of that bacon>)
 

After breakfast, we ran some errands; I went to the library for the first time in 4 months (so glad the strike is over). The weather was gorgeous, crisp and clear. All the leaves are turning too. I love this time of year...
 

In the late afternoon we watched a movie together, napped and generally luxuriated in our not working state.

The plan for dinner was simple ~ salmon, rice, salad. But while in the market, we saw the most beautiful chanterelles, so I had to grab some of those.
Unfortunately, as I started to prepare dinner, I discovered that the salmon was less than fresh smelling. Change of tack; I marinated the salmon with olive oil, lemon and tarragon. The mushrooms were sauteed with tarragon, butter and white wine, then I made a cream sauce and added the mushroom mixture to it, before spooning it over the cooked salmon.
 

Tuesday, October 23, 2007

Sunday Dinner

Rob was curious about Rabbit ~ having never eaten it, so he brought one home from work. I used a recipe from Bones for Herb-Roasted Stuffed Rabbit and served it with couscous and Carrots glazed with bay, orange and honey.
 

The Verdict? He thinks its tasty but totally not worth the 30 dollars/rabbit they charge at his work.
I made a fantastic rabbit dish way back in culinary school, but despite my best efforts searching through the archives, I cannot find it ~ I think it was the day I forgot to bring my camera to class... It was a fun stroll down memory lane though!

Sunday, October 07, 2007

Dinner with Katie and Ryan

The pictures aren't the best... I blame the fabulous wine that Katie brought....
 

Caramelised Onion and Gruyere Tart with Green Salad
 

Lamb, Fall Vegetables and a yam and Potato Cake.
 

"Pearfait" (name courtesy of Katie)
Posted by Picasa

Monday, October 01, 2007

Inspiration and Motivation

Without going into details, my life has been lacking in both inspiration AND motivation. I am hoping by actually posting I can start the ball rolling. Tomorrow I am having dinner guests, so I am getting a little bit excited about cooking...
Of course, I have no idea what I am actually going to cook ;D

Wednesday, August 01, 2007

Portland here I come!

So excited! Off to Portland for 5 days and cannot wait. My flight leaves first thing tomorrow. I need to start compiling my list of must -see places...