My Boy Bait brings all the boys to the yard...

I haven't had much luck in the boy/man department lately (some may argue it's because I'm not really trying... minor detail) so when I first saw this recipe on Smitten Kitchen, I had a similar reaction as Deb did when she first heard of it - that it would eventually get made, sooner rather than later, and I thought my potluck would be the perfect venue for it.

August is prime blueberry season, and we actually had a 2 lb-container of blueberries in the fridge.


Even as I was mixing up the cake, I knew it was going to be a hit - the batter was light and airy, despite the huge amount of butter (1 whole cup!) that went into it.


The cake is topped with a thin layer of cinnamon sugar, which gives the top a crisp, sweet crust.


So did I manage to bait any boys? Not that I know of, but some of my friends liked it so much that I was prompted to make a snide comment about portion control (Sorry, I can be rude sometimes!) and one of the girls (who has a boyfriend) asked me for the recipe.

I guess next time I need to double it up with Rachael Ray's You Won't Be Single For Long Vodka Cream Pasta, but if that doesn't work at least I have a wholesome, buttery blueberry cake under my belt!

Blueberry Boy Bait
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen
Serves 12, generously (Makes a 9" x 13" cake)

Cake:

• 505 mL (2 cups + 1 tsp) flour, separated*
  
• 15 mL (1 tbsp) baking powder
  
• 250 mL (1 cup) butter, softened
  
• 185 mL (¾ cup) packed light brown sugar
  
• 125 mL (½ cup) granulated sugar
  
• 3 large eggs
  
• 250 mL (1 cup) milk
  
• 125 mL (½ cup) blueberries, fresh or frozen (do not thaw if frozen)

Topping:

• 125 mL (½ cup) blueberries, fresh or frozen (do not thaw if frozen)
  
• 60 mL (¼ cup) granulated sugar
  
• 2 mL (½ tsp) ground cinnamon

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 175˚C (350˚F). Grease and flour 9" x 13" baking pan.
   
2. Whisk 500 mL (2 cups) flour, baking powder, and salt together in medium bowl. Set aside.
   
3. With electric mixer, beat butter and sugars on medium-high speed until fluffy, about two minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until just incorporated and scraping down bowl.
   
4. Reduce speed to medium and beat in one-third of flour mixture until incorporated; beat in half of milk. Beat in half of remaining flour mixture, then remaining milk, and finally remaining flour mixture.
   
5. In small bowl, toss blueberries with remaining one teaspoon flour. Using rubber spatula, gently fold in blueberries. Spread batter into prepared pan.
   
6. For topping, scatter blueberries over top of batter. Stir sugar and cinnamon together in small bowl and sprinkle over batter.
   
7. Bake until toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes. Cool in pan 20 minutes, then turn out and place on serving platter (topping side up)**. Serve warm or at room temperature. (Cake can be stored in airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days.)
   

*The original recipe calls for all-purpose flour (of course), but I used whole wheat because a little extra fibre never hurt anyone! ;)
**We had a bit of a funny episode with this one... I'd advise turning it out on a cutting board, then putting your serving dish on top and flipping the whole thing over.

Nutrition Info (per 3" × 3¼" piece): 347 calories, 16 g fat (10 g saturated), 94 mg cholesterol, 45 g carbohydrate (1 g fibre, 28 g sugar), 5 g protein, 154 mg sodium. A good source of vitamin A, folate and selenium.

YouTube won't let me embed the official video...

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Baked Pasta Casserole

One of my friends is a vegetarian who has a fairly lengthy list of food sensitivities—tomatoes, bell peppers, eggplant, bananas and some types of beans, to name a few—so I was excited for the "challenge" of preparing a dish for her for the potluck.

I envisioned a casserole... actually, I was enticed by the Amateur Gourmet's BEST CASSEROLE EVER (capitalization my own), but then quickly realized that the BEST CASSEROLE EVER involved buying almost 2 lb of good cheese and 1 lb of shiitake mushrooms. Yikes! Make that the Most Expensive Casserole Ever!

So I opened up my Google Reader (which I've recently pared down to a "more manageable" 96 feeds), clicked on my "casserole" tag and browsed, and I found this little number on 101 Cookbooks. It was not your usual lasagna or mac & cheese, and I can almost taste the al dente pasta and bubbly cheese just by looking at Heidi's spectacular photography. Yum...

As I mentioned in my previous post, I was running a little late in my food preparations that day (Full Disclosure: I drank too much the night before and therefore slept in, delaying my trip to the grocery store.) so by the time I was chopping up the vegetables for this recipe, my first guests were beginning to arrive. So between trying to be entertaining, chopping and sautéing spinach, boiling pasta and toasting (and burning!) almonds, I forgot a crucial step before throwing the casserole into the oven - covering it with foil! The pasta ended up roasting in the heat and becoming chewy :( The casserole itself was a good concept though. I had bites of the spinach and almond mixture in the pan before it was combined with the pasta and it was tasty. The lemon zest added a zippy, citrus note to the dish, while the spinach added a welcome shot of colour.

I did manage to "salvage" some of the leftovers the next day by heating it in the microwave with a little bit of water, but I think the recipe itself needs a little tweaking; between the lemon, spinach and almonds, the pasta had a bit of a sweetness to it that would've probably been better if it was counterbalanced by a stronger, sharper cheese as opposed to the mozzarella.

*sigh* Maybe I should've spent that extra money on the BEST CASSEROLE EVER.

Baked Pasta Casserole
Adapted from 101 Cookbooks
Serves 8 (Makes a 9" x 13" casserole)

• Extra-virgin olive oil
  
• 340 g (¾ lb) whole wheat pasta (She used shells, I used farfalle)
  
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped
  
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
  
• 1 L (4 cups) well-chopped fresh spinach
  
• 375 mL (1½ cups) sliced almonds, lightly toasted, divided
  
• Zest of 2 lemons
  
• 227 g (8 oz) mozzarella, shredded or torn into little pieces

1. Preheat the oven to 190˚C (375˚F). Butter/oil a 9" x 13" casserole dish or baking pan.
   
2. Prepare pasta as per package instructions. Drain and toss with a "glug" of olive oil. Set aside.
   
3. While the pasta's cooking, heat a bit of olive oil in a skillet over medium-high. Sauté the onions for a few minutes (or if you want a bit more depth of flavor until caramelized). Stir in garlic. Stir in spinach. Cook for just about 20 seconds, until the spinach collapses a bit. Remove from heat and stir in 1 cup of the almonds and ½ of the zest. Add to pasta and stir and stir - mixing extremely well, a minute or so.
   
4. Sprinkle the bottom of baking dish with remaing zest. Add a layer of the pasta to the bottom of the baking pan, sprinkle with some of the cheese, add more pasta, then more cheese. Finish with a layer of cheese. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes or until cheese on top is bubbly and melty. Serve sprinkled with the remaining almonds.
   

Nutrition Info (per serving): 404 calories, 19 g fat (5 g saturated), 22 mg cholesterol, 41 g carbohydrate (7 g fibre, 4 g sugar), 19 g protein, 196 mg sodium. An excellent source of riboflavin (vitamin B₂), folate, vitamin B₁₂, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, copper, manganese and selenium. A good source of thiamin (vitamin B₁), niacin (vitamin B₃) and calcium.

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Dilly Dietitian Dip

Two weekends ago I was home alone, so I decided to host a potluck just so I would have friends over to keep me company. The night was a success - all my friends brought over tasty dishes (despite threatening to bring me bags of chips before) and we had a nice, sit-down dinner followed by games of Poker, Cheat and Carcassonne. Since I was hosting, I decided to take on three dishes, but unfortunately only one of them turned out... and this wasn't one of them.

I got this recipe from Elaine, a dietitian based in BC. Her blog, Greens & Berries, was probably the first nutrition blog I'd ever read, and it's unique in that it's written more with the professional in mind - Elaine regularly links to resources that she has found helpful in her own practice and she is definitely a proponent of continuing education. She is always talking about brushing up on certain topics—especially when she has an intern under her wing—and I love "eavesdropping" on her Twitter conversations with Kathryn of Limes & Lycopene and Sophie of Mostly Eating to hear about their latest discoveries in nutrition and healthy, tasty food.

This dip recipe actually comes from one of Elaine's tweets, and it's a low-fat, high-protein dip thanks to the cottage cheese and yogurt standing in for the usual sour cream. The original recipe calls for parsley, or a mix of parsley and dill, but I just used all dill because I love it, while at the same time feel kinda "Ehh" about parsley. The dip is thickened by the cottage cheese (I made mine smoother than Elaine does just because my Magic Bullet is not the most cooperative thing in the world,) and the squeeze of lemon juice gives it a pleasant tang while the dill gives it a summery freshness. The original name of the dip is much more pedestrian, I prefer Dietitian Dip because it's healthy, I got it from a dietitian, and I like alliterations :P

So why didn't this dip work out? I didn't have time to cut up vegetables before the guests arrived so it unfortunately just sat in the fridge during the party...

Dilly Dietitian Dip
Adapted from Greens & Berries
Makes 2 cups

• 250 mL (1 cup) low-fat cottage cheese
  
• 15 mL (1 tbsp) fresh lemon juice
  
• 250 mL (1 cup) fresh dill
  
• 125 mL (½ cup) low-fat plain yogurt
  
• Freshly ground pepper to taste
  

1. In food processor, lightly process cottage cheese and lemon juice until just blended.
   
2. Add dill, yogurt, and pepper. Process just until mixed or until dill is coarsely chopped. (Depending on your food processor, you may need to chop the dill before putting it in.)
   
3. Cover and refrigerate for at least four hours to allow flavours to set in. Garnish with dill sprigs (optional) and serve with fresh, cut vegetables.

Nutrition Info (per ½ cup): 61 calories, 1 g fat (1 g saturated), 4 mg cholesterol, 4 g carbohydrate (0 g fibre, 4 g sugar), 9 g protein, 251 mg sodium. An excellent source of vitamin B₁₂.

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Hole-in-the-walls in Montreal: La Croissanterie

I'd always been curious about La Croissanterie, like many of the hole-in-the-wall shops and eateries west of Concordia on Ste-Catherine. I don't remember exactly when Ezra and I finally walked in to the café; we were always fans of the weekend brunch and were probably drawn in by the promise of free wi-fi.

La Croissanterie is much bigger on the inside than it is on the outside; looking in from the outside, you can see the 70s era display case and the linoleum flooring, but the area further inside is completely done in wood panelling with vintage sewing tables serving as tables. The Spanish (?)-speaking lady who works during the week intimidates me for no reason, but on weekends there is a larger, red-haired bearded guy who is the nicest.

La Croissanterie serves up a fair selection of cheap café fare, including soups, salads, cakes and—of course—sandwiches on their signature warm, fluffy, flaky croissants. They do all-day breakfast combos, which are usually a sandwich, bagel or croissant with a café latte that range from $3.75 to $4.60, as well as lunch specials which include a soup and a coffee with your main dish.

The atmosphere is casual and friendly, perhaps what Starbucks was looking for when it tried to set up stripped down, "neighbourhood" coffeehouses. Well Starbucks Observation Team, take note - at La Croissanterie, classical music is always playing in the background courtesy of CBC Radio 2, you wander in, grab a coffee and some food, then stay even long after your dishes have been cleared from your table. Generally it's nice, but during exam season it gets a little crowded with Concordia students taking advantage of the cozy atmosphere and plentiful plug-ins.

And the food! For a cheap little place, they do churn out delicious coffee (though I must admit I'm no coffee connoisseur) and their lattes do not have any pretentious designs. Don't expect gourmet food here, but I *love* their almond croissant with its subtle, not-too-sweet filling, and have always wanted to try their pastries, like the apple turnover and carrot cake. It's comfort food in a comforting atmosphere, and during my week-long trip I went *twice*, if that tells you anything.


La Croissanterie
1909 Rue Ste-Catherine O
Montreal QC H3H 1M3
(514) 932-2604
Open from 8 AM - Midnight daily.

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Hole-in-the-walls in Montreal: Charcuterie AnnA

It was past midnight and Jess, Lisa and I were roaming the streets by the apartment, looking for something savoury to counteract the slices of cake we had at Calories just moments before. Well, they were, I was still recovering from Korean BBQ. We didn't have a drop of alcohol in us, but we were giggly.

The depanneurs nearby had closed, but I noticed a light coming out from a familiar shop. "AnnA is open," I said.

As we approached, I saw the new posters they had put up advertising their food - the chicken nuggets poster had a picture of chicken nuggets, the fries poster had a picture of fries...

"Why does the poutine poster have a picture of..." I stopped myself before I finished asking the question. Brilliant. Best. Poster. Ever.

I first heard about Charcuterie AnnA not long after I moved into the Chomedey apartment just over two years ago when I randomly ran into a girl I knew from school about half a block away. I didn't know her very well, but well enough for her to say hi and give AnnA her stamp of approval. I never went while I lived there - well, actually I went in once, and there was no one behind the counter so I slinked quietly away in search of a food fix elsewhere.

AnnA has gone through some renovations over the past year and has swallowed the storefront next door, adding a small seating area and a colourful menu that matches the posters on the window. The picture of Putin is actually very fitting as AnnA is owned by Eastern Europeans; their deli specializes in Eastern European meats and cheeses, and they sell imported Eastern European candies and other delicacies as well. On the night Jess, Lisa and I went, the sisters shared a Hungarian salami sandwich and despite being a cold cut, I could smell the spicy meat as they enjoyed their sandwich.

So I had to make a trip myself.

I decided to bring a sandwich with me to Osheaga as I foresaw that the food would be expensive. Feeling guilty from all the meat I'd eaten over the week, part of me wanted to get a vegetarian sandwich, but the photo looked like it would just be vegetables and some cheese, and really, what would be the novelty in that? In the end I chose the Russian tuna, and my stomach growled impatiently as I rode to Jean-Drapeau with it in my purse.


This sandwich would've been more beautiful if I hadn't squished it in my purse.
So what makes tuna Russian? SPICE, apparently. I'd watched the guy behind the counter go in the back and open this special can of tuna, which was probably spiced with chili powder and/or paprika, with just a hint of tomato. There's a mandoline behind the counter at AnnA, which the man used to slice me almost half an onion (there was definitely no making out that day) and a bit of tomato. Although the sandwich had gotten a little soggy, it was still amazing.

*sigh* Why didn't I discover this place sooner?

Charcuterie AnnA
2070 Blvd de Maisonneuve O
Montreal QC H3H 1K8

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Globefish

Cross-posted from Calgary is Awesome

I was literally booed by my family when I told them that Tiffany and I were going to Globefish for supper. It's not that Globefish is bad - we're just spoiled rotten with a "neighbourhood" sushi restaurant like Misato. Last time we went to Globefish as a family, my brother and his girlfriend decided that their sunomono did not measure up against Misato's, their shrimp dumplings tasted like they came frozen from a package, and the Deluxe Sashimi ($24.95, above) had more decorative log than raw fish.

Despite my family's negativity, however, I was ready to try Globefish again with an open mind, if only because Tiffany and I were going to their second branch in Marda Loop instead of their main location in Kensington.

Globefish mostly operates under an "Izakaya" (居酒屋) format, which is basically the Japanese's answer to tapas bars. The atmosphere certainly reflects this casual vibe, as the restaurant looks a bit like a club - dimly-lit with backlit walls, and very modern decor. As an aside, a very cool feature is that all the tables have a hook under them for you to hang your purse!

Unlike most Japanese restaurants in Calgary with their big teriyaki rice bowls or bento boxes, Globefish's menu consists of a varied mix of traditional and "fusion" dishes—from agedashi tofu and gyoza (dumplings) to fish tacos and sushi pizza—which they encourage people to share as a meal over one of the sakes from their extensive collection. To keep things interesting, the menu also has a rotation of daily specials.

Globefish also has an impressive list of "special rolls" with names like Crunch & Munch Roll and Power of Love, but for those who are looking for more familiar territory there are more common sushi and rolls as well. Calgary spirit also runs deep in the menu, with items like the Flames Roll Combo (Spicy California, Spicy Tuna and Spicy Salmon) and the Iginla Roll (Breaded jumbo prawns, salmon, red tuna, avocado and cucumber with masago roe.) For those who are indecisive, the tantalizing photos throughout the menu don't make the decision any easier!

It was a weekday, so Tiffany and I decided to skip the sake and go for green tea instead. After a bit of hemming and hawing (I'm telling you, it's those photos!), we finally decided on our three rolls and two appetizers. Our food arrived almost simultaneously after a short wait.


Tiffany chose the Shark Fin Salad ($5.95), which reminded us a little of Chinese appetizers with the mix of shark fin and jellyfish, but the texture was a little springier than I'm used to. The salad was tossed in a bit of vinaigrette dotted with sesame seeds and chili peppers. I chose the Agedashi Tofu ($5.95), which I thought was very well done as the outside of the tofu was very crisp. The sauce was a little too salty, but not a huge issue as long as we didn't drown our tofu in it.


The first roll we got was the Crazy Buster ($14.95), which was my favourite roll of the night. The roll contains salmon, tuna and tempura wrapped in more tuna and topped with a spicy sauce with sesame, green onions and fried garlic - and we all know how I feel about things with a little kick ;) My only criticism was that I wished that the tempura was more crisp, so that the texture could match the bold flavours.


The Delicious Roll ($15.95) is chopped scallop, crab, avocado and mango wrapped in prawn and topped with a white wine lemon sauce and masago roe. Although the concept was good, the flavours in this roll were very muted (I didn't even realize there was mango in it till I got to a piece with a big yellow smear) and some of the pieces just tasted like a mouthful of rice.


Finally, we had the Salmon Lovers Roll, one of their "seasonal specials". It had smoked salmon, salmon skin and lettuce wrapped in rice and salmon and topped with salmon roe. Despite all of the different preparations of salmon in the roll, the flavours actually weren't too overwhelming and in fact I thought the star of the roll was the lettuce, which was surprisingly crisp.

Three rolls and two appetizers proved to be a little too much for us, as we had to pack a couple pieces of each of the rolls. I certainly don't think Globefish is boo-worthy, and I'm sure many Calgarians agree as even though we arrived fairly late (7ish) on a Thursday night, the restaurant was packed. The service was friendly (and I'm not only saying this because my cousin and his girlfriend work there and read this blog!) and the food arrived quickly despite how busy it was. While Misato will still be my number one Japanese restaurant in Calgary, I will definitely not say no to an invitation to Globefish.

Globefish
Kensington (Main) location:
332 14 St NW
Calgary AB T2N 1Z7
(403) 521-0222


Marda Loop location:
1-2009 33 Ave SW
Calgary AB T2T 1Z5
(403) 249-8866

Kensington location is closed on Mondays (No, it's not, the website LIES.) while Marda Loop location is closed on Sundays. Specific hours listed on website. Both locations do not accept reservations.

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Buffet Maharaja

 

I am the evil Maharaja! You will not escape!*

While deciding what I wanted to eat for my last supper in Montreal, I was drooling over the photos from my auto-scheduled post on Namskar (what, you think I'd actually blog while on vacation?) and had mad cravings for Indian food.

I told my friend Ken so, and was about to suggest that we go to Allo Inde, a lovely little place that provides great food and service for relatively reasonable prices. Then, Ken texted back a list of seven Indian restaurants that we could try, including Buffet Maharaja. Still reeling from the previous meaty food babies I had on this trip, I said, "Buffet Maharaja is INSANE! There's SO MUCH food!" Clearly, that night was not the night to start rehabilitating from my vacation eating.

I was not kidding when I said that Buffet Maharaja was insane - according to its website, it boasts the largest Indian buffet in North America. There was a long row of meaty curries plus traditional favourites like tandoori chicken, a vegetarian corner, a grill station that made fresh naan and skewers and a huge dessert table which included a chocolate fondue. For those who are averse to exotic foods (aka kids dragged there by their parents), there was a sizable selection of salads, plus a station of "Western" foods like fries, onion rings and pizza. And if that wasn't enough, some of the dishes rotated in and out as they were being made, so there was literally more food than met the eye.

Despite my initial desires to fill up more on vegetables, we started on the row of meaty curries where I grabbed a small scoop of basmati rice, chicken and beef curries, chicken korma, beef vindaloo (*actually* spicy), and lamb saag. We then moved on to the vegetarian corner and grabbed some peas, aloo gobi (cauliflower and potato), aloo bhaji (spicy potato) and dal. Then we wandered over to the grill station and grabbed some fresh, so-hot-it-was-almost-crispy naan.


At this point my food baby was getting quite far along, and we had barely made a dent in sampling all the Indian food that was available (we decided it'd be ok to skip the fries)! Plate 2 included some tandoori chicken, shrimp on a stick, skewers from the grill, zucchini, okra, spinach, eggplant, a couple pakoras, and of course, more naan!


It was time to admit defeat, but not before a little bit of dessert! The chocolate fondue had unfortunately been used up and I generally find Indian desserts to be much too sweet, so I opted for a lot of fruit, a pudding cup and a couple of halwas.


I'm usually a bit weary when it comes to buffets because usually the quality of the food suffers, but I found the food at Buffet Maharaja to be fresh, hot and very authentic tasting. The only bad note of the night was the pudding - they weren't labelled according to flavour, and I grabbed a banana one that tasted just like banana-flavoured medicine! It was so disgusting and artificial I must've only had two bites. The halvas (carrot and coconut) were quite sweet, but I really liked the coconut one because it gave it a little bit of a bite.

Buffet Maharaja is a fun yet classy place, and there is so much food that there's something for everyone. Despite being a buffet, the quality of the food does not suffer, and the service was also very friendly.

Buffet Maharaja
1481 Blvd René-Lévesque O
Montreal QC H3G 1T8
(514) 934-0655
Mon-Wed Lunch (11:30 AM-3:30 PM): $10.99, Dinner (3:30 PM-11 PM): $14.99; Thu-Sun Lunch: $11.99, Dinner: $16.99. 50% off for children aged 4-10, 10% off for seniors and students.


*From the song Spectacular Spectacular on Moulin Rouge!

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Getting my meat on in Montreal: Restaurant Les Nouilles

Before this trip, I hadn't seen my friend Henriette in years, which she helpfully pointed out when I wished her a "Happy Birthday" on Facebook in June. "Oh, I don't know if I'll be in Montreal again in the near future," I'd said then, "I was just there in March and then again for convocation in May." So when I decided to take my trip on a whim in July, I couldn't miss the opportunity to see her.

Henriette is different from most of my friends in Montreal in that she actually grew up there, so she knows the city beyond the McGill "bubbles" of downtown and the Plateau. I remember for one of my birthdays back in the day she took me to the South Shore for a very delicious sushi meal.

This time I gave her free reign to choose where we would go eat, and she quickly came back with Restaurant Les Nouilles, a hole-in-the-wall about a block away from Metro Snowdon. While the name sounds like it should be a Chinese takeout place (which it could've been, given that it is owned by a Chinese family), the restaurant actually specializes in Korean BBQ.

Restaurant Les Nouilles was unlike any other Korean BBQ I'd ever been to. "Where's the menu?" I asked stupidly after we were seated. My question was quickly answered as the staff began laying out a spread of banchan (Korean appetizers) in front of us. For just $18.95 per person, we got an all-you-can-eat spread of Korean food, and for an extra dollar, all-you-can-drink chilled chrysanthemum tea.

For banchan, we got boiled potato marinated in sweet sauce, soybean sprouts, marinated cucumbers, a seaweed salad (I put on my best "pond pose" when I had a bite - Henriette was confused), a light kimchi, marinated fried tofu (豆卜), mung bean sprouts and marinated... Asian vegetable?


We were only a couple bites into our banchan (we were also catching each other up on the past two years, after all) before more food was laid out before us - small dishes of raw marinated beef, beef short ribs, lamb, chicken, pork, shrimp, fish and squid. We were also given a small bottle of Korean BBQ sauce to squeeze into our clear bowls for dipping.


While most Korean BBQ places I've been to have grills built into the table, here we were given a portable gas stove with a grill that had water poured around the side. I still have no idea what that water was for. Henriette was a sweetheart and did a lot of the grilling, "I never do this for anyone," she said, but I quickly found out that the catch was she doesn't eat any seafood so I had to take care of that.


Despite the unintimidating size of the plates, we filled up very quickly and by the end of the meal we were forcing each other to down the last pieces of meat. But the meal wasn't over yet! The waitress asked us what ice cream we wanted as she took the (mostly) empty little dishes away - our choices were blueberry or orange...


Blueberry ice cream
We left stuffed, smelling of BBQ and giddy from the food and conversation. Though it's certainly not the best quality meal I had, the meat was very tender (except those few times that we overcooked the thin slices) and the dipping sauce tasted quite authentic. The ice cream was actually pretty good too - I usually don't like mixing berries with dairy, but here the blueberry flavour actually tasted pretty real, and there were also little seeds in the ice cream itself. Of course, the whole meal was terrific value, especially since Henriette insisted on paying ;)

Restaurant Les Nouilles
5248 Chemin Queen-Mary
Montreal QC H3W 1X5
(514) 369-9062

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Getting my meat on in Montreal: Bar B Barn (...and brews at Dieu du Ciel)

As if one large, meaty meal per day was not enough, after my filling lunch at Bofinger with Theo, my lovely hostess Jess took me and her sister, Lisa, who was also visiting, to The Bar B Barn for supper.

The Bar B Barn has always been one of Jess's favourite meat joints; I remember when I was still living with her, she would sometimes come back with takeout bags filled with chicken and fries. It turns out that she also loves bringing her guests there - her parents go almost every time they visit and Jess once bought her dad a Bar B Barn hat for his birthday!

Although the name "Bar B Barn" conjures up images of rowdy patrons with Southern drawls and loud country or old-school rock blaring in the background, it was much quieter than expected... us three giggling girls were the loudest ones there! The decor definitely lives up to the name though - the interior is done up in wood panelling and retro hockey paraphernalia adorns the walls.

Upon being seated, We were immediately asked what we wanted to drink by a waiter whose accent was so heavy we could barely understand, and then left with our menus (which doubled as placemats).

The Bar B Barn only does two things - ribs and chicken. Everything else on the menu is either a side, beverage or dessert. On Jess's recommendation, we each got a rib and chicken combo ($17.80, or $18.80 with fries) so we could try a bit of everything. ("Maybe we should just get two to share amongst the three of us?" "No, I can finish one." "Fine.") I got one with fries so that we could all try some.


Before...
For the volume of food that we got, it came out surprisingly quickly. Each plate had three or four huge ribs, a quarter chicken, a side of tomato rice, a roll, some BBQ sauce for dipping and a single onion ring (my chicken and onion ring are hidden under those fries somewhere). The ribs were already covered in BBQ sauce, and they were succulent and flavourful. The chicken was very moist and tender, and took to the sweet, tangy BBQ sauce well. Jess and Lisa loved the sauce, but I was pretty neutral about it, as it tasted just a step above ketchup to me.

I only had a couple bites of the tomato rice, partly because I was so full from all the meat, and partly because I simply didn't like it - it was basically Minute Rice covered in a watery tomato sauce. I also didn't have the roll either... Maybe it's just that when I'm getting my meat on the only accompanying carbs that my body will accept are those that are fried.


After.
I don't think I did too badly... though I couldn't finish my sides, I did manage to finish all of the meat. I eyed Jess's clean plate jealously - she does triathlon and has a naturally high metabolism to begin with so she can pack it in when she needs to.

Despite nursing a food baby, I somehow managed to make my way up to Dieu du Ciel to meet up with the Trib Boys. The guys were shocked that I'd never been, but I'd always lived far from the Plateau and didn't go out very often during school anyway. But what a find, and clearly Montrealers know about it because it was packed despite it only being Thursday night. DDC is a microbrewery that brews a huge variety of the most amazing and creative beers. I had the Route des Épices, a red ale flavoured with peppercorns that had a heat that actually lingered after you drank it, and the Solstice d'Été, a wheat beer flavoured with sour cherries that was the colour of fruit punch and didn't taste like beer at all. All in all, a fun night.

The Bar B Barn
Downtown location:
1201 Rue Guy
Montreal QC H3H 2K5
(514) 931-3811

West Island location:
3300 Boulevard des Sources
Dollard-des-Ormeaux QC H9B 1Z7
(514) 683-0225


Dieu du Ciel
29 Ave Laurier O
Montreal QC H2T 2N2
(514) 490-9555

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Getting my meat on in Montreal: Bofinger

Before I left for Montreal, I received this sweet Facebook message from my friend Theo. Theo used to have an awesome but rarely updated blog called Living with Women which he kept when he roomed with three girls in Montreal, but he has since moved out and is now living alone in a basement suite (they have those in Montreal?) During our lunch I tried to convince him to start a new blog called "Living Alone", then the idea evolved into a concept called "Eating Alone" wherein the blog would just contain photos of him eating. Alone. It's a good idea, you guys should convince him to do it!

Anyway...


I have no idea why Bofinger hasn't made its way to this blog, as I've been a fan since my first whiff of their sweet barbecue sauce when I first stepped into their NDG location almost two years ago. Although my plate might be a little deceiving because of all the vegetables I managed to load up on, I can assure you that this southern barbecue is all about the meat.

At first, Bofinger seems like a pretty weird place - the dining area is nice, mostly made up of booths with sleek black leather couches with solid, stone tables. But aside from the formal looking dining area, the atmosphere is decidedly casual - you go up to the counter to order (if it's busy they'll take your name and shout it out for the world to hear when your order's ready), you pour your own drink from a dispenser into a disposable cup, and then you are greeted by a full roll of paper towel once you get your food to the table.


While Bofinger also does ribs (pork or beef) and chicken (breast, legs and wings), I've always gone for the sandwiches because they are such a good deal - for $8.99 you get a sandwich with your choice of housemade BBQ sauce that you can load up with whatever toppings you choose, a free drink with unlimited refills, and your choice of side (I always choose a green salad or coleslaw due to the guilt of eating so much meat, but they also have potato salad, fries, mac & cheese, beans, and bean salad.) I love both the pulled pork and beef brisket equally - the meat is always tender and flavourful and there's always lots of it so it's not hiding under the mountain of toppings. I've also tried their Poboy, which is pulled pork, gravy, cheese and fries, but was completely overwhelmed by the amount of fries that was in my sandwich (and the fact that I couldn't add any vegetable toppings) so I don't think I will be ordering it again.

This time, although the guy behind the counter was trying to push us to try a rib & chicken combo, I noticed something "new" on the menu that I hadn't tried before - a smoked sausage sandwich. (I say "new" because the downtown menu is slightly different from the NDG/DDO menus in terms of items offered and price.) I tried to assess whether the sandwich had actual sausage or a sausage pattie (like a Sausage McMuffin) by asking the guy what the sandwich was like, and he simply replied, "You'll like it if you like sausage." Err... ok.

I topped my sandwich with a mix of cooked onion and green pepper, mushrooms, tomato and cucumber and asked for some mustard on the side. I clearly did not see him get me my mustard because the next thing I know, he was filling a cup with Caesar dressing! What?! Caesar dressing ≠ mustard! The guy definitely saw the confused look on my face and got me a cup of "Greek dressing" as well, and that's when I finally saw the mustard hiding in the back. Oops.

Theo got the pulled pork sandwich, and was enticed by the guy's slick marketing skills ("It's great with Frank's Hot Sauce!") and got the mac & cheese.


The sandwich (as usual) was way too big, making it difficult to grab on to and eat, and wasn't helped by the fact that my sausages (I think there was 1½ of them in there) kept slipping out and were hard to bite off as opposed to little pieces of shredded meat like their other sandwiches. I was a little disappointed that the sausages just turned out to be bratwursts (Yeah, I'm a sausage snob), the Alabama sauce wasn't as spicy as they made it seem, and the mustard was too horseradishy for my taste. I wouldn't say the sandwich was bad, but I think I'll go back to my staples of pulled pork or brisket next time (or maybe spring for some ribs and/or chicken.)

Theo seemed to enjoy his pulled pork sandwich, but was a little disappointed by the mac & cheese, because he was hoping for a higher-quality cheese... I think it's just cuz the guy forgot to get him his Frank's Hot Sauce.

All in all, Bofinger is a casual, fun, gluttonous place to go for lunch (or supper) and although this meal was a bit of a miss, I'll definitely be going back.

Bofinger
Downtown location:
1250 Rue University
Montreal QC H3B 3B8
(514) 750-9095

NDG location:
5667 Rue Sherbrooke O
Montreal QC H4A 1W6
(514) 315-5056

DDO location:
3339-G Blvd des Sources
Dollard-des-Ormeaux QC H9B 1Z8
(514) 685-3444

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Sweet Potato, Cauliflower and Lentil "Curry"

Those of you who have followed the blog for oh, at least 10 months (haha, like writing of my calibre would attract such faithful followers) might feel a flicker of recognition of the above kitchen - the white stove, speckled counter, striped plate... of course, it's my kitchen in Montreal! But what was I doing cooking there?

Last week I began training at my new job - a semi-private clinic opening in Calgary later this month, and so the week before I flew back to Montreal to celebrate my last week of unemployment in style. While I did have my share of gorging and food babies during my trip, my sensible dietitian side wanted a home-cooked meal for one night too.


This "recipe" is a riff off of a blend of spices I've been doing since freshman year of university. I used to mix it with yogurt to make a creamier sauce, but here I've experimented with just throwing the spices on and it works just fine. I'm hesitant to call it an actual curry as I'm sure curry connoisseurs will consider my blend of spices blasphemous (especially since it includes straight-up curry powder, which can vary depending on who makes it), but I love it because it is quick and delicious, with just a teeny-weeny hint of spice.

I always see my "curries" as just a spiced version of a stir-fry, as in, anything goes. Usually I prefer "heavier" vegetables, like potatoes and carrots which take longer to cook and will also soak up some of the flavours, but now that I'm visualizing it in my head, vegetables that I've tended to shy away from, like mushrooms and tomatoes, might work in their own way as well. Here we used sweet potato and cauliflower just because that's what my host (aka former roommate Jess) had on hand. In fact, since she's not much of a cook herself, her original suggestion for supper was cauliflower, sweet potato fries and... HARD BOILED EGGS, which is why I decided to take the reins and suggest this dish. For protein I opted for canned lentils (dried lentils can be easily made as well since they don't require soaking, but we wanted to save time), but chunks of meat (cook with onions before adding vegetables, or cook separately) or cubed tofu can work just as well.

Sweet Potato, Cauliflower and Lentil "Curry"
Serves 4-6

• 15 mL (1 tbsp) vegetable oil
  
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
  
• 1 head cauliflower, separated into florets
  
• 2 sweet potatoes, cubed
  
• 1 can (425 g/15 oz) green lentils, drained and rinsed
  
• 30 mL (2 tbsp) curry powder
  
• 15 mL (1 tbsp) cumin
  
• 7 mL (1½ tsp) cinnamon
  
• Chili powder, salt and pepper to taste
  

1. Heat oil in a large pan or wok over medium-high heat. Saute onion until it becomes soft.
   
2. Stir in cauliflower and sweet potatoes. Add 250 mL (1 cup) water. Cover, lower heat and let simmer until vegetables are cooked and become softened.
   
3. While vegetables are simmering, mix curry powder, cumin, cinnamon, chili powder, salt and pepper together in a small bowl.
   
4. Stir in spices and lentils. Cook until all the water has been absorbed/evaporated.
   
5. Serve with rice (in this case we had wild rice)
   

Nutrition Info (per ¼ recipe): 273 calories, 5 g fat (0 g saturated), 0 mg cholesterol, 49 g carbohydrates (15 g fibre, 14 g sugar), 14 g protein, 294 mg sodium. An excellent source of vitamin C, thiamin (vitamin B₁), pantothenic acid (vitamin B₅), vitamin B₆, folate, vitamin A, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium and manganese. A good source of vitamin K, zinc and copper.

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Namskar

Cross-posted from Calgary is Awesome

I love Indian food. I love the unique flavours produced by the exotic blends of herbs and spices, the comforting creaminess of the different curry sauces, the creative vegetable dishes (no boring steamed veggies here!) and the tender meat that falls right off the bone.

For someone who loves Indian food so much, it doesn't appear very often in my life - the names of many of the dishes on the menus of Indian restaurants are almost as unfamiliar and intimidating as the list of ingredients needed if you are trying to prepare it yourself! Add to that the fact many of my usual dining companions have been scared off of Indian food for one reason or another, and I consider myself lucky if I can get it even once every couple of months.

So I was really excited when two of my best guy friends suggested that we go to Namskar one evening. Not only did that mean Indian food, but it also meant that I'd finally get to write about a restaurant on the north side of the city for Chow Down in Cowtown, my (almost) weekly series over at Calgary is Awesome.

Although Namskar serves up an impressive list of vegetarian dishes (including classics like Aloo Gobhi, homemade Paneer, and two types of Dal), all three of us veered toward our favourite meaty dishes. Ray went for the Butter Chicken ($16.99), Blair - who loves spicy food - went for the Goat Vindaloo ($15.99), and I went for a creamy Lamb Korma ($16.99). We rounded out our meal with garlic naan for everyone ($2.95 each) and an order of Saffron rice ($3.99).


Clockwise from bottom-left: Lamb Korma, Butter Chicken, and Goat Vindaloo
Indian food can be very deceiving because the dishes look so tiny, but they are so filling. The butter chicken had a sweet, velvety sauce where you could really taste the tomato. The chicken itself was very tender. The lamb korma was very creamy, with a hint of coconut.

I was actually looking forward to trying the goat vindaloo the most, as it is known as one of the spiciest types of curries out there, and I always like to push the boundaries of my spice tolerance. All three of us were also looking forward to trying goat - I am usually turned off by the distinct, musky taste of some goat cheeses and wondered if the meat would be the same and whether it would overpower the curry.

The vindaloo was a little scary looking - while the other two curries were brightly coloured and filled their respective metal bowls, the vindaloo looked darker and hid in its little copper pot, and a strong spicy aroma wafted up from the depths of the container. But it was very delicious - the meat was not musky at all, and the sauce was not as spicy as it smelled. There was a welcome kick, of course, but the heat didn't linger and I was more than happy to spoon up some more and soak the sauce up with the warm (borderline hot, really) garlic naan.


The staff at Namskar were very pleasant and our food arrived quickly - I could tell they definitely knew what they were doing. I would love to go back, and perhaps with a few more people. Their menu is huge, and with only three of us, we barely scratched the surface.

Namskar
202 16 Ave NE
Calgary AB T2E 1J8
(403) 230-4447/(403) 230-4448
Open for lunch/take out buffet Mon-Fri: 11:30 AM-2:00 PM. Open for dinner Mon-Thurs 5:00-10:00 PM, Fri-Sat 4:30-10:00 PM. Open Sundays and holidays 1:00-9:00 PM.

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