Delhi Darbar

Cross-posted from Calgary is Awesome.

B. and I both love the complex flavours and spices in Indian cuisine, so when Delhi Darbar opened not too far from his home this summer, we'd made a mental note to go. We finally had the opportunity a few weeks ago, with a coupon from the latest Entertainment book to boot! (Yay for teenage sisters in band!)

Delhi Darbar has actually been on the Calgary restaurant scene for a while, working out of a Glenmore Trail location for four years before moving to their current location on 16 Ave NE. Like many Indian restaurants in the city, their menu is filled with delicious-sounding vegetarian and non-vegetarian choices, with specialty items highlighted in red. They also have a short "fusion" menu with items that I had not seen anywhere else in Calgary. It was difficult to decide what to order!

After finally deciding what to eat, we were served complimentary papadom (as spelled on the menu) with mint chutney and tamarind chutney to munch on while we waited for our food to arrive.


Both of us preferred the sweet and sour tamarind chutney, which wasn't as harsh as the savoury and cilantro-y mint chutney, but we made a dent in both.


For mains, we ordered the Kadhai Chicken ($12.95) and the Pride of Goa ($11.95), one of their fusion dishes. I had looked up "kadhai" to see if it could help me figure out what was in the sauce, but it turns out that it's the wok-like dish that it is cooked and served in! Our kadhai chicken was made in a tomato-based sauce filled with onion, green pepper, ginger and aromatic spices. We had asked for our dishes to be made "medium hot", so the dish had just a bit of a kick, but it didn't have us reaching for our waters.


The Pride of Goa was simply described as "roasted eggplant and butternut squash in coconut sauce tempered with curry leaves" on the menu, so at first I wasn't sure if it was worth ordering, though I really wanted to try one of the restaurant's "fusion" dishes. I had nothing to worry about as this was the favourite of the two dishes we ordered - it was smooth and creamy, with just a hint of sweetness, and dotted with little coriander seeds for a bit of citrusy spice.


Of course, we had to sop up all the sauce with garlic naan and saffron rice (both $2.95) The garlic naan was *so* good that we ordered a second round after gobbling up the first - it came out of the kitchen piping hot, generously buttered and studded with garlic and parsley. Yum.




We managed to finish everything, and needless to say, there was no room for dessert. Overall, our service was efficient but friendly, and the server chatted us up a little bit after our meal - I was sad to see that the restaurant was not busy at all on a Friday night, but it was also the same week that all that snow hit! I will definitely have to try to see if I can get there on a Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday, when they have their dinner buffet, so I can try more of their tasty dishes!

Delhi Darbar
122 16 Ave NE
Calgary AB T2E 1J5
(403) 230-3088
Open for lunch buffet Mon-Fri 11:30 AM-2:30 PM; dinner buffet Mon-Wed 5 PM-10 PM; à la carte dinner Mon-Sun 5 PM-10 PM.

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NOtaBLE

Cross-posted from Calgary is Awesome.

My friend Michelle is part of yyceats - a group of Calgary-based Twitter users who meet up (almost!) monthly to try a new restaurant. I was lucky enough to be squeezed into their most recent outing to celebrity chef Michael Noble's latest venture, NOtaBLE.

People who aren't in "foodie circles" may not have heard of Noble, but have probably eaten his food - Noble was the executive chef at Catch before becoming the director of culinary and product development at Earls. He's also had a hand in Flatiron Grill, O and Kayne's, to name a few. Chef Noble has competed for Canada at the Bocuse d'Or competition in Lyon, France, as well as other culinary events (his awards are proudly displayed throughout NOtaBLE), but he is probably best known for being the first (only?) Canadian chef to appear on the original Iron Chef television series.

NOtaBLE's menu features traditional, classic dishes (with just a slight twist here and there), with an emphasis on local farmers and producers. There is a daily rotisserie special - unfortunately sold out when we arrived as we were having a late supper - and many of the items on the menu are available in "Taster" and "Main" portions. There is also a four-course market menu with wine pairings for $65.

The decor at NOtaBLE is warm and inviting, with dark wood accents and copper tabletops. There is a small lounge area at the front of the restaurant which looks onto the open kitchen, while the main restaurant area is dominated by comfy booths.


I thought the salt bowls were very zen, and the matching carafes of water placed on our table were a nice touch.
We were a large group, so some of us sipped on cocktails while waiting for the others to arrive - I ordered a caesar, which was nice and spicy, garnished with a wedge of lime, an olive and a pickled green bean. Yum.

I didn't get an appetizer, but James started with the house-cured duck prosciutto ($12), which was served with a watercress salad, rhubarb compote and toasts. He seemed to enjoy it, noting that the prosciutto was warmed just enough that the fat was starting to melt.

On the waitress's recommendation (she declared it her "favourite"), I had the ravioli of confit chicken, roast mushrooms and Boursin cheese ($24). sexyinyyc had started with it ($15) and said I would enjoy it, so I was really looking forward to the dish by the time it arrived.


The ravioli was as amazing as promised - the confit chicken filling was creamy and bursting with chicken flavour. The sauce was rich and cheesy, though it was a little too salty for me. The pasta was topped with two of my favourite vegetables, broccolini (aka rapini, or broccoli rabe) and golden beets - if I'd known, I would've asked for extra!


Michelle had the braised lamb shank ($30), which was served with a chanterelle and Asiago risotto.


Michelle kindly shared a few bites with me - the lamb shank was fall-off-the-bone tender, while the risotto was rich and flavourful, with the grains of rice cooked just al dente.

For dessert, there was a choice of four pastries, a cheese platter and a list of dessert wines, ports and French pressed coffee from Phil & Sebastian. The coffees were served with a timer, ensuring that the coffee was brewed just right when it was time to push down on the press and serve.

    
I unfortunately think I ordered the dud of the desserts - a caramelized Okanagan apple and almond galette ($9).

    
I liked the flaky pastry and the vanilla gelato, but the galette was so sticky with caramel that it stuck to the plate! The cooked apple was also impossible to slice through with just a fork. Overall, it was difficult to eat and too sweet for my taste.

I had a nibble of Michelle's triple dark chocolate flourless cake ($10), which was creamy, decadent and not too sweet. Served with a scoop of chocolate sorbet.


The most intriguing item on the dessert menu is probably the stilton cheesecake ($9). I didn't order it because I'm not a fan of blue cheese, but those who did seemed to like the interesting flavour and the caramelized top. That's probably what I will have next time.


My favourite part of the restaurant was actually our waitress. She was perky without being annoyingly so, and seemed to know her way around the menu, but was honest if there was a dish she hadn't tried. My favourite part of the meal was the conversation - it was a nice treat to go out with a big group, and we stayed and chatted long after we paid the bill. I know I didn't have a chance to get to know the entire group (we were split between two tables) but I hope to get to know them better on Twitter before the next outing!

NOtaBLE
4611 Bowness Rd NW
Calgary AB T3B 0B2
(403) 288-4372
Open Tues-Wed 11:30 AM-10 PM; Thu-Fri 11:30 AM-11 PM; Sat 10 AM-11 PM; Sun 10 AM-9 PM. Closed Mondays. Reservations recommended. Underground parking available.

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Cornbread (is so easy!)

I don't know why, but I've always had an obsession with cornbread, even though I rarely ate it. Back in Montreal, I'd even bought a bag of cornmeal to keep in the pantry - I may have cooked up some polenta once or twice, but the cornbread just never happened.

I finally had my chance to make cornbread when I was making my rice cooker chili. It was my day off, so I prepped everything for the chili in the morning, then when it came time to "make dinner", I just mixed the cornbread batter and popped it in the oven.

Now that I've finally made the cornbread, my only question is - what took me so long? I'm now tempted to have a bag of cornmeal and some frozen or canned corn on hand at all times to whip up some cornbread when I see fit.


I used Dorie Greenspan's Corniest Corn Muffins recipe, which she'd kindly posted on Serious Eats. I was able to whip up the batter quickly - any recipe that doesn't require me to bring out the electric mixer is great in my books - then dumped it all into a 9" round cake pan instead of dividing it into muffin tins.


The cornbread was crumbly, but moist, and bursting with corn flavour. I felt guilty about the fact that I turned a recipe that made 12 muffins into one that made eight wedges of cornbread, so I tried to halve my wedges... the nutrition info below assumes that you slice the round into a more realistic eight.

Also, don't forget to read to the bottom of the recipe and follow Dorie's storage instructions - otherwise, the cornbread is so moist that if you leave it at room temperature it begins to turn stinky and bitter in 3-4 days (ew.)

Whole Wheat Cornbread
Adapted from Baking: From My Home to Yours, by Dorie Greenspan via Serious Eats
Makes 1 9" round or 12 muffins

• 1 cup (250 mL) whole wheat flour
  
• 1 cup (250 mL) cornmeal
  
• 6 tbsp (90 mL) sugar
  
• 2½ tsp (12 mL) baking powder
  
• ¼ tsp (1 mL) baking soda
  
• 1 pinch nutmeg, preferably freshly grated
  
• 1 cup buttermilk (250 mL)
  
• 3 tbsp butter (45 mL), melted and cooled
  
• 3 tbsp (45 mL) corn oil, or vegetable oil
  
• 1 large egg
  
• 1 large egg yolk
  
• 1 cup corn kernels, fresh, frozen or canned (drained and patted dry)

1. Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 400°F (205˚C). Grease a 9" round cake pan or a 12 regular-sized muffin tins.
   
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and nutmeg. In a large glass measuring cup with a spout or in another bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, melted butter, oil, egg and yolk. Pour the liquid ingredients over the dry ingredients and, with the whisk or a rubber spatula, gently but quickly stir to blend. Don’t worry about being thorough – the batter will be lumpy and that’s just the way it should be. Stir in the corn kernels. Pour batter into cake pan or divide into muffin molds.
   
3. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes (15 to 18 if making muffins), or until the tops are golden and a toothpick inserted into the center of the muffins comes out clean. Cool cake in pan for about 10 minutes before turning out on a rack to cool, or serve directly from pan, preferably with chili, or butter and jam.
   
4. If possible, consume cornbread the day it's made. Wrap any leftover cornbread in plastic wrap and store in freezer for up to a month. To serve, reheat in a 300°F (150˚C) oven or toast in toaster oven.

Nutrition Info (per 1/8 recipe): 288 calories, 11 g fat (4 g saturated), 65 mg cholesterol, 42 g carbohydrate (3 g fibre, 12 g sugar), 6 g protein, 266 mg sodium. An excellent source of manganese and selenium.

PS: My friend A. recently went on a cornbread-making rampage as well, using and making variations on Paula Deen's Moist & Easy Cornbread. She was looking for suggestions on what to do with leftover buttermilk - I think throwing it in mac & cheese is an excellent idea, but would welcome any others :)

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Rice Cooker Chili

Remember when I made mushroom risotto in a rice cooker from a recipe from Roger Ebert's new cookbookand became obsessed with the idea of making things in the rice cooker?


Yeah...

Can you believe this was the first time I'd ever made chili? Naturally, after reading the recipe in the book (provided by one of Ebert's blog readers) I wanted to change it - Ebert himself is quite flexible with his recipe for chili:

Just how you'd figure: beans, ground or chunk beef or vegetable protein, onions, garlic. That's basic. Then maybe some peppers, maybe some bacon, maybe some cocoa powder, tomatoes or try stewed tomatoes (bigger tomato chunks cut up), and chili powder, garam masala, or the hot peppers of your choice.

I went with a mix of ground beef and pork I found in the freezer, two cloves of garlic, an onion, two green peppers, a can of mixed beans, a can of red kidney beans and a can of diced tomatoes. (How awesome is the President's Choice Blue Menu No Salt Added line, btw? Yes, some of the products are tasteless but it's nice to be able to see/control how much salt you are adding in and it's cheaper than other no-added-salt canned products).

I resisted the urge to add more vegetables, as the other recipes that I had in my Reader didn't have any either, though next time I might add in some hot peppers - didn't this time because I was worried about my siblings. In the end I also tipped in the leftover corn from the cornbread I made. (Recipe tomorrow!)


In terms of herbs and spices, I didn't stray very far from the recipe - lots of chili powder, cumin, Sriracha sauce instead of Tabasco and a pinch each of the dried herbs that we had in the spice cabinet - thyme, dill, parsley - instead of the suggested Italian seasoning. I think something smoky, like ancho or chipotle, or some smoked paprika (which I regrettably left at B.'s house) would be fantastic here.

Overall, I thought the chili was good for a first attempt, though I'd put a little too much green pepper in and I thought it could've used a little more water - the edits have been made to the recipe below. Really, though, if you have a trusty chili recipe that you use, I would suggest you just use those ingredients and only follow the method. The rice cooker's "Keep Warm" mode worked like a charm for slow-cooking the chili - does this mean I don't have to buy a crock pot? I think some more experimentation (for the rice cooker and my chili recipe) needs to take place...

Rice Cooker Chili
Adapted from The Pot and How to Use It: The Mystery and Romance of the Rice Cooker, by Roger Ebert, via Serious Eats
Makes 8 servings (about 1½ - 2 cups each)

• 1 tbsp (15 mL) vegetable oil
  
• 2 cloves garlic, sliced
  
• 1 onion, chopped
  
• 2 lb (900 g) extra-lean ground beef
  
• 1 × 19 fl oz (540 mL) can mixed beans, drained and rinsed
  
• 1 × 19 fl oz (540 mL) can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
  
• 1 × 28 fl oz (796 mL) can diced tomatoes
  
• 1 green pepper, chopped
  
• ½ cup (125 mL) water
  
• 4 tbsp (60 mL) chili powder
  
• 2 tsp (10 mL) hot sauce, or more, to taste
  
• 1½ tsp (7 mL) cumin
  
• 1½ tsp (7 mL) oregano
  
• 1½ tsp (7 mL) basil
  
• 1 tsp (5 mL) black pepper
  
• Cheddar cheese, grated (optional)
  
• Cilantro or green onion, chopped (optional)

1. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add garlic and onion and sauté until onion becomes translucent. Add ground beef and cook until browned. Drain off any excess liquid.
   
2. Combine ground beef mixture and remaining ingredients in rice cooker pot. Stir to mix and close rice cooker lid.
   
3. Switch rice cooker to "Keep Warm" mode and cook chili for 8 to 10 hours. Serve topped with cheese and cilantro or green onion, if desired.

Nutrition Info (per serving): 384 calories, 13 g fat (5 g saturated), 73 mg cholesterol, 33 g carbohydrate (11 g fibre, 7 g sugar), 32 g protein, 664 mg sodium*. An excellent source of riboflavin (vitamin B₂), niacin (vitamin B₃), vitamin B₆, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, manganese and selenium. A good source of thiamin (vitamin B₁), folate (vitamin B₄), vitamin C and copper.

 

*You can cut nearly 600 mg of sodium by using canned products with no salt added.

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two dozen lemon cakes

I turned 24 last Friday! And in keeping with tradition, I made my own cake. Unfortunately, I didn't have the time (or occasion, really) to make the chocolate quinoa cake that Julie shared not too long ago, but instead made Gwendolyn's glazed lemon cakes that I've been drooling over since the recipe first appeared in the Herald.


I know I joked last year that birthdays are supposed to be about reckless abandon, but I couldn't help but swap out a bit of flour for some whole wheat. Still, the batter was as fluffy as a cloud, and the cakes were light, with a delicate crumb.


The cakes themselves just had a kiss of lemon flavour, the perfect foil for the tart glaze. By itself, I thought the glaze tasted too much like icing sugar, and I actually had to add more lemon juice than was called for in the recipe to get the right consistency. When spread on top of the cakes, however, the lemon flavour simply shone through.






And my birthday itself? I brought the lemon cakes with me to a hectic shift at the hospital - it was a welcome treat when I finally had time to sit down and eat at 2 p.m., and the few coworkers who tried a cake seemed to enjoy them too. My parents came home from vacation and we went out for sushi. On Saturday I brought the rest of the cakes to a friend's housewarming party - they have a beautiful home (with a gigantic couch) in one of the new communities at the edge of the city, around a fake lake. It was a quiet, uneventful weekend, and I fretted about it a little bit, but in reality, it was just what I needed after a hectic month.

Glazed Lemon Cakes
Adapted from Patent in the Pantry, who adapted it from Everyday Food
Makes 12 cakes (Recipe doubles easily, which is what I did to make one cake for every year!)
Cakes:

• ½ cup (1 stick/125 mL/113 g) butter, softened
  
• 1 cup (250 mL) all-purpose flour
  
• ½ cup (125 mL) whole wheat flour
  
• 2 tsp (10 mL) baking powder
  
• ½ cup (125 mL) plain yogurt, or low-fat buttermilk
  
• 1 tsp (5 mL) vanilla
  
• Zest and juice of a lemon
  
• 1 cup (250 mL) sugar
  
• 2 large eggs

Glaze:

• 2 tbsp (30 mL) lemon juice
  
• 1½ cups (375 mL) icing sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Butter and flour a 12-cup muffin tin (or 6-cup jumbo muffin tin). In a medium bowl, whisk together flour and baking powder. In a small bowl or a measuring cup, whisk together the yogurt, vanilla and lemon zest and juice of 1 lemon. Set aside.
   
2. With an electric mixer, cream butter and granulated sugar until light. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. With mixer on low speed, add flour mixture in three batches, alternating with two additions of buttermilk mixture.
   
3. Divide evenly among muffin cups. Bake until a toothpick inserted in centre of a cake comes out clean, 15 to 18 minutes. Cool 10 minutes in tin, then cool completely on a rack.
   
4. Set rack over wax or parchment paper. In a small bowl, whisk remaining lemon juice into icing sugar until smooth - you may need to add more lemon juice to achieve desired consistency. Using a butter knife, spread a generous layer of glaze on top of each cake. Let set for at least 30 minutes.

Nutrition Info (per cake): 266 calories, 8 g fat (5 g saturated), 56 mg cholesterol, 45 g carbohydrate (1 g fibre, 32 g sugar), 3 g protein, 154 mg sodium. A good source of folate (as a result of fortification) and selenium.

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Mac & Cheese with Cruciferous Vegetables and Meat

I'm someone who chooses recipes based on what's in the fridge. This seems completely logical to me, but I know others who simply don't feel the same way. Who cares what's in the fridge? I'm just going to go out and buy what I want, even if it's already in there! It is this attitude that results in two-and-a-half bunches of broccoli and four bunches of green onion (three of which are wilting) in the fridge, and it is my attitude that results in me going into my Reader to see what recipes I have tagged under "broccoli" when I invited B. and his sister over for Sunday dinner (both sets of our parents were out of town).

I ended up choosing a mac & cheese recipe from Serious Eats - a comforting, one-dish meal that was still decadent with its three cheese blend (cheddar, mascarpone and parmesan).


The three of us managed to polish most of the casserole in one night (plus some leftovers for B.), but now I had lots of leftover cheese (and breadcrumbs from toasting too much stale bread)! This only meant one thing - I had to make the recipe again! I didn't have any broccoli or chicken left, so I found a bag of Brussels sprouts in the fridge, and went and bought some ham (because ham and cheese go together, right?)


My favourite part in making this recipe is actually making the bechamel sauce. There is something that's just so... empowering (for lack of a better word) about being able to get the proportion of flour and butter just right so that the milk you pour into the saucepan turns into a smooth, creamy sauce. I had some buttermilk on hand from another recipe for my second go-around - same amount of calories as 1% milk (if you buy 1% buttermilk, natch), but just a bit more sodium for a richer-tasting sauce.


And for those who crinkled their noses at the idea of having Brussels sprouts in your mac & cheese, you must try it. As long as you don't overcook them, the sprouts at a bit of sweetness to the dish with just a touch of bitterness. So good.


My siblings disagreed with my addition of the ham, saying that it overwhelmed the dish (not true) and that I could have diced the ham more finely (ok, I can give them that) Of course, they only told me that my mac & cheese was "not good" after they'd finished most of the pan!


Now, just in case you're complaining that I've only been making unhealthy stuff lately (sorry!) Here are some ideas for healthier tweaks:

• The cheese sauce is rich enough that you can probably do without the mascarpone, but if you insist, I think ricotta or quark would be appropriate lower fat options.
  
• Obviously choosing chicken breast over ham will save you calories, fat and sodium - try juggling around the vegetable-to-meat ratio as well, like add an extra head of broccoli and take away a cup of meat.
  
• Instead of making a casserole, just make it a pasta bowl and skip the parmesan and breadcrumb topping - this will save you about 30 calories and 80 mg of sodium.
  
• I called this dish "cruciferous vegetables" and "meat" for a reason - don't just limit yourself to broccoli, Brussels sprouts, chicken and ham. Try cauliflower florets or chopped kale for the vegetables, and other types of meat depending on how healthy you're feeling (yes, even weiners!)
  
• Portion control! The original recipe says it serves 6 to 8 - I can easily squeeze out eight servings from the recipe, and if you have other sides, you can probably get even more!

Mac & Cheese with Cruciferous Vegetables and Meat

Adapted from Serious Eats

Serves 8

• 2 stalks broccoli, chopped, or 10 oz (300 g) Brussels sprouts, halved
  
• 6 oz (170 g) whole wheat macaroni, or other short pasta
  
• 3 tbsp (45 mL/42 g) butter
  
• 1 shallot, minced
  
• ⅛ tsp (1 mL) cayenne pepper
  
• 3 tbsp (45 mL) flour
  
• 2½ cups (625 mL) milk, or buttermilk
  
• 1 cup (250 mL) grated cheddar cheese
  
• ½ cup (125 mL) mascarpone cheese
  
• 2 cups (500 mL) shredded, cooked chicken, or cubed ham
  
• ¼ cup (60 mL) bread crumbs
  
• ⅓ cup (85 mL) parmesan cheese, grated

1. Butter a 9 x 13" baking dish and set aside. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and par-cook the broccoli for three minutes (five minutes for Brussels sprouts). Plunge into an ice bath, and reserve.
   
2. Preheat the oven to 400°F (205˚C); bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Cook the pasta for about 4 minutes, or slightly before the pasta becomes al dente. (The pasta will finish cooking as the casserole bakes.)
   
3. While the pasta is cooking, make the cheese sauce by melting the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. When the butter is melted, add the shallot and cayenne, and cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes. Add the flour, and cook another minute. Slowly pour in the milk or buttermilk, whisking constantly, until the mixture is smooth. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook for another few minutes, until it is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Remove from heat, and stir in the cheddar and mascarpone, whisking until smooth.
   
4. Toss the pasta and sauce to combine, and stir in the broccoli and chicken or ham. Pour everything into the prepared baking dish, and top with the bread crumbs and grated Parmesan cheese. Bake for about 20 minutes, until the pasta is bubbling and the top is lightly golden brown.

Nutrition Info (per 4½ x 3¼" piece, made with 1% milk, broccoli and chicken): 369 calories, 17 g fat (11 g saturated), 75 mg cholesterol, 28 g carbohydrates (3 g fibre, 5 g sugar), 24 g protein, 291 mg sodium. An excellent source of folate (vitamin B₄), vitamin B₁₂, vitamin C, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc, manganese and selenium. A good source of all remaining B vitamins and potassium. (Per 4½ x 3¼" piece, made with 1% buttermilk, Brussels sprouts and ham): 391 calories, 21 g fat (12 g saturated), 63 mg cholesterol, 28 g carbohydrates (3 g fibre, 5 g sugar), 21 g protein, 754 mg sodium. An excellent source of thiamin (vitamin B₁), folate (vitamin B₄), vitamin B₁₂), vitamin C, vitamin E, phosphorus, zinc and manganese. A good source of riboflavin (vitamin B₂), vitamin B₆, calcium, magnesium, potassium and selenium.

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Wishes & Goals 2010 Check-Up - November

Not that I should be making excuses for myself or anything, but this is what October looked like:

What resulted was a month of sloppy tracking of my progress on my resolutions - I'm already doing better so far this month; I'm opening the calendar every day to track my progress again but still I find myself forgetting how much water I'm drinking. Time to break out the paper and pen!

My Goals for 2010
7.5+ hours of sleep
Still keeping up with my bad habit of only getting enough sleep on weekends, sadly. Apparently I'm also really bad at getting to bed earlier when I book early morning medical appointments or have to get my sister ready for school.

Each snack must contain a vegetable or fruit
This goal is going well, except I was bad about writing down exactly what I ate during the month. I'm also bad when it comes to making sure I'm still snacking when I'm not at work, but I'm not too worried about it because I should focus on eating every 3-5 hours as opposed to eating five times a day. However, I do realize that this is a missed opportunity to get in my veggies and fruit for the day!

Be able to do 100 full, proper pushups without stopping by December 2010.
As I mentioned last month, I took a break from pushups during October as I ended up increasing my kickboxing training to about six days a week for this. As expected, I haven't gotten back into the pushups, and honestly, I don't think I'm going to. We did pushups in class the other day - I could only do 30.

Drink at least 48 oz of water at least three days a week, INCLUDING Thursday, Saturday or Sunday.
Overall, it looks like I did better in October than I did in September, especially since I did dig up a water bottle (which I ended up losing at the beginning of this month - boo) but making sure I stay hydrated when I'm not at work still eludes me.

I will save at least ⅓ of my paycheque every month in hopes of buying a house/condo within walking distance from my work by 2011-2012.
I only saved about 1/7 of my paycheque this month. Had to make another life insurance payment.

Wishes for 2010
Do a thorough room purge.
Still haven't done that.

Recipes/techniques I wanted to try this year
Nothing from the list this month.

Blog Stuff
Continue upward trajectory of posts this year
I posted my 89th entry on Halloween, which means I have exceeded the total number of posts that I wrote in 2009! Cross this off the list!

Include nutrition information for my recipes whenever possible
Haven't backtracked since April.

Rewards/Positive Reflection
October was a topsy-turvy month for a lot of reasons and I'm finally enjoying a "normal" schedule week, which I haven't been able to do in weeks. Sleeping in till 7:30 on Monday was reward enough (for surviving October), though just in case it isn't, I'm going to redeem my "birthday presents" from La Senza and Sephora this week and finally check out the new Chinook Centre expansion!

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Shiraz Persian Cuisine

Cross-posted from Calgary is Awesome.

Heading north on Centre Street from downtown, you may have noticed some new signage next to the tiny building on the corner of 11 Ave NE. With a name like Shiraz, and sleek, modern decor featuring red leather booths, shiny black tables and tile floors, it's easy to think that you're stepping into a wine bar or lounge. While the month-old restaurant does have a short wine list, its specialty is Persian cuisine served with the personable, friendly attitude that you would only find in a cozy, mom-and-pop business.

We arrived late on Saturday night, and our waitress - who we later found out was the owner's daughter - helpfully reviewed the entire menu with us, pointing out popular items before leaving us alone to make our decision. The menu consists of a variety of dips served with warm flatbread (lavash) as appetizers, soups and salads, a rotating menu of Persian stews, and a selection of kebabs. For beverages, they had the traditional salted yogurt drink, but we were not ready to try that just yet.


We decided to start our meal with the Kashk-e-bademjan ($6.99), a popular dip made with roasted eggplant topped with whey and flavoured with onion, garlic and mint. I'm sure when it arrived the lavash was warmed, but after fiddling with my camera for a little bit, the flatbread cooled quickly and was a little chewy (oops!) The dip itself was creamy, but since it was very subtly flavoured it didn't feel rich and heavy.


For our main course, we ordered the Chef Special ($34.99), one of two "combination platters" meant for sharing between two people (there is a platter for three as well), just so we can have a taste of some the different kebabs available - veal, chicken breast and koobideh (a kebab made with seasoned ground beef). The platter came with individual plates of saffron rice, and we were instructed that for the full experience, we were to melt a pat of butter over the rice, dust it with some sumac (there was a shaker on the table, by the salt and pepper) and "crush" the lightly grilled tomato and onion into the rice. I personally would've preferred the tomato and onion to have been cooked a little longer - the tomato was certainly not crushable, and I didn't even bother with the onion as I don't like it raw.


While the veal was a little bit tough, I could already tell that the chicken breast would be tender just as I picked it up with a fork. Both had a subtle mix of spices that I couldn't quite place my finger on, and the chicken had a pleasant tartness from lemon and/or sumac. Our favourite, however, was the koobideh. The ground beef was not crumbly at all, but instead was very tender and not greasy like a sausage would've been. It was probably the most flavourful of the three as well - as soon as we got home B. spent part of the evening trying to find a recipe in hopes of being able to duplicate it on his own.

We managed to clean our plates and were far too stuffed for dessert - or even some cardamom tea! - but we asked to have the dessert menu explained to us anyway. The menu itself has four items - Persian ice cream, baklava, roulette (a cake similar to a Swiss roll) and napoleon. However, the waitress also brought out an advertisement from a local Persian publication, with pictures of two additional items - faludeh, a shaved ice dessert with vermicelli noodles and rosewater, and some cookies. It all looked so delicious, but unfortunately our stomachs could not handle another bite.

The restaurant was undeservedly quiet on the night we went, but I hope it changes as more people find out about their authentic kebabs, comforting stews, and most importantly, friendly service.

Shiraz Persian Cuisine
1120 Centre St NE
Calgary AB T2E 2R2
(403) 452-4050
Open Tues-Thu 11:30 AM-10 PM; Fri 11:30 AM-11 PM; Sat 12 PM-11 PM; Sun 2 PM-10 PM. Closed Mondays.

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