Colourful comfort. . .

Winnipeg has so much culture. It's a huge reason I love it so much. When it comes to my recent cooking, I've gravitated a lot towards the European influences on food I've experienced in the city. Since I was a kid and going to lil church functions, there would always be an abundance of cabbage rolls and pierogies. It wasn't until I was down south where these dishes aren't really found that I started trying to cook it for myself. Since Chris and his fam are from PA, they also grew up with these dishes and it's somethin we were totally missin down in NC.
Last night, my two ladies and I whipped up my homemade pierogies with potato, cheese, kraut, bacon and onions. So delicious. Don't have a recipe for the filling, just kinda threw stuff together and it worked! Jessie made her mom's purple cabbage. Wow. A really simple, healthy, inexpensive dish that's got really great, balanced flavor..not to mention i LOVE the purple colour!! The only ingredients were purple cabbage, onion, cloves, bay leaves, sugar, vinegar.
Unfortunately, our comforting meal came at a painful price! I was using a wine glass to cut the dough and it broke. I probably pressed down too hard and sliced my right hand and my left ring finger. My finger bled for like half an hour or so. Gross. Lol.
My girls came to my rescue and I am A-OK! I'm so clumsy and accident prone. Less than a week ago I burned my finger twice on sugar I was melting for Leche Flan. Geez.
As much as I love cabbage rolls, the thought of spending all that time rolling individual pieces doesn't appeal much to me. I found a recipe for a cabbage roll casserole. So much easier with all the flavor.



The Living Winnipeg site that I got the recipe from doesn't seem to be up anymore so all I can say is for the recipe I used ground beef, onions, tomato soup, bacon, rice, cabbage. The secret ingredient: topping it with a really good pasta sauce for added flavor instead of just using soup. I've got Jessie to thank for that tip!



Ingredients for the perfect Flan

• 1 cup sugar
• 6 large eggs
• 1 (14 ounce) can condensed milk
• 1 (12 ounce) can evaporated milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 ounce cream cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Select 2 oven safe containers, one that can easily fit inside the other.
3. The large one will be used for a water bath and the smaller one will actually house the flan.
4. Fill the larger container a little less than half way with water and place in the cold oven to heat up while you prepare the caramel and the custard.
5. In a large pan, using a wooden spoon caramelize the sugar until it turns a light golden brown. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO TOUCH IT! I promise you it's like molten lava.
   
6. While still hot, transfer the melted sugar to the smaller container, swirling it around until the entire bottom is covered then set aside.
7. In a blender add the remaining ingredients and blend until smooth.
8. Open up the oven where you have placed the water bath and then place the small pan with the caramel inside the large water bath pan.
9. Pour the custard into the pan being careful not to splash it.
10. Bake for 30- 45 minutes until the top is golden brown and the center passes a toothpick test.
11. Remove from oven and allow to cool on rack.
12. You may invert this onto a large serving dish with lip or just server out of container you cooked it inches.

Polish Pierogi Dough

• 4 c All-purpose flour
• 2 Eggs
• 1/2 c Sour cream
• 1 ts Salt
• 2/3 c Warm water

Just mix and knead everything together, cover and let rest for at least 1o minutes. Roll it out into about 1/8 inch thickness, cut out circles, fill with dough, wet edges, fold over, boil dumplings til they float to the surface. Very easy but can be time consuming!

Restaurant Review: 529 Wellington, Winnipeg, MB

529 Wellington may be considered Winnipeg's most expensive restaurant. I haven't done much fancy dining in the city so I'd have to agree.
One of my best friend's birthdays brought us here last night. It's located on the city's ritzy Wellington Crescent. The restaurant is in a mansion built in 1912, absolutely exquisite with beautiful dark wood that the waiter told us was "worth more than the house itself".
The ambiance is romantic. There were 10 of us in the party so we were placed in a private room. We were seated by the hostess and visited by a sommelier who also served as the guy to tell us how much the cars were worth in the parking lot. There was a half a million dollar Bentley in our presence that evening. The wine menu by the way is extensive and bottles ranging from like $20 to $2000, maybe more. We got the $2000 bottle..haha, I wish.
Our waiter for the evening was named Mike. He started off by giving us the restaurant's beef lesson. The restaurant's different cuts of beef were saran wrapped on a plate and he told us about which cut would be best if you desire taste, texture, etc. We were also told the 529 is the only restaurant to serve a particular kind of Prime Canadian beef (from Alberta). Very rad and my first experience with anything like that.
Mike's service was amazing the whole night. He and the rest of the staff were extremely attentive and accommodating.
I ordered the Rib steak grilled medium rare with the Chef's Pontalba Potatoes. Everything is a la carte here but the sides are definitely big enough to share so we all got to taste everything.
A run down of everything I tasted:
Caesar Salad - Flavorful, used lots of garlic. Croutons were so good. Delicious yet lacked a little something..fresh shaved parmesan and lemon wedges, perhaps?

Garlic Mashed potatoes - also a ton of garlic used. Creamiest mashed taters I've ever had. What was cool about this side was it wasn't on the menu but my friend requested it and they gladly made it for her.

Chef's Pontalba Potatoes - Potatoes, mushrooms, onions in a peppercorn sauce. Wow. The flavors were bold and went together so well with the steak.

Onion Rings - Huge rings served with these cute lil tongs piled on a metal tube. Great presentation. A thick but not overly greasy batter with sweet onion on the inside that was cooked to a perfect tenderness.
Asparagus with Hollandaise - I've never had this vegetable cooked so perfectly before. They were the epitome of what "tender crisp" is. The sauce was rich and creamy..just like it should be.
Atlantic Smoke Salmon - this appetizer came with capers, lemon, toast points, shaved onion, and cream cheese. Very delicate fish with a great smoked flavor.

THE STEAK - My rib eye ($39) was AMAZING. It was a HUGE piece of meat at 22 oz that I ended up having to take some home. It's difficult to describe just how perfect it was. You get what you pay for, that's for sure. Tender, juicy, just enough grilled flavor yet the meat really came through. What was amazing about this steak was even the next day being reheated - it was still just as good as the night before. My friends had the tenderloin and new york strip and all agreed they had just eaten the best steak of their lives. A couple of them cannot have their steak less than well done. When I've seen well done before...the outside is charred so that it cooks through. Not here. Just perfect.
I had the pleasure of trying some bone marrow sauce over some of my steak and WOW....wow. The richest, most flavorful sauce to compliment a piece of meat...ever. Really incredible.

To finish I had Maple Creme Brulee with Ginger Snap...It was adorned with fresh fruit, extremely smooth and creamy, flecks of vanilla bean seeds throughout the deep yellowy creme. YUMMY!!!!!!!!!!!
Out waiter hooked us all up with a dessert wine at the end of the night and also gave the birthday girl a piece of the richest chocolate cheesecake ever. Even shared, we couldn't finish it. So decadent.


I could write on and on about this restaurant. It was the best dining experience ever, hands down. The night was absolutely perfect. I was among great company, we all had impeccable service in a great atmosphere. We were there until closing time and Mike even took us on a tour of the mansion and gave us some great history on the place.
I'll definitely be back..hopefully before I go back to the states. They've got a lunch menu during the week that I hear is a must try.

a meal fit for a queen

...and by queen i mean queens..and by queens i mean my lovely girlfriends!

last weekend 8 of us ladies went to one of my best friend's cabin for her birthday. we decided we ought to have a really nice meal before getting completely intoxicated later on in the night!

I was asked to make my pasta...which is somewhat of a secret recipe. I came up with it all by myself, no recipes to follow! It's a HUGE hit, especially with the vegetarians! It's light but paaaaaacked with flavor. It's not the cheapest dish to make, especially not this weekend because I doubled the recipe. Well worth it, though. I also had two of my girls help me make each and every lil pasta..i dont know what to call em...tortellini? ravioli? I'll have to look up the difference. We ended up with 3 cookie sheet trays full of goodness. I'm salivating just thinking about it. It's main ingredients are spinach and cheese and that's all I'll say. Accompanying the pasta we had garlic bread and greek salad (birthday girl's fav). For dessert I whipped up a chocolate sheet cake. It makes a GIGANTIC cake. I had never made it before and it was so easy that I was able to get it done in maaaaaaaybe an hour - start to finish! I used the Pioneer Woman Cooks recipe. Turned out perfect. I had to transport it from the city so I actually ended up cutting the sheet into layers and layering in the ooey gooey chocolate/walnut icing..and as always, i cut down the sugar the recipe calls for.


One of the girls brought some mini cupcakes from The Cupcakery in Winnipeg. They were cute but I wasn't blown away by them. I think the cake could have been a bit more moist? If I had to BUY cupcakes, I'd have to say Whole Foods actually makes em pretty good. Avoid the Cupcake Shoppe in Raleigh at all costs. Yuck. I'd always rather make my own anyway.

great dessert for a crowd: mini cheesecakes!

Mini cheesecakes are perfect for gatherings like football sunday or pot lucks! I used to bring them to work when I was a preceptor student...maybe that's what got me my A. :P
It's pretty easy, especially because the center is just oreos or reese's. I would like to try it some time using my peanut butter filling that I use to make a large cheesecake. I'm sure you could experiment with other different centers as well.
I was given this recipe via a message board and it can also be found here: Food Network: Paula Deen's Peanut Butter Cheese Cake Minis.
I always tweek recipes a bit. In this case I cut down on the sugar a little bit and have used Oreos in place of peanut butter cups at times. In the pics above, I topped the cupcake with either one side of a mini oreo or a couple of the reese's candies to differentiate the two flavors.
I like that they're mini cause they are quite rich. Also at a party, you never have to worry about cutting slices!

Restaurant Review: East Ocean, Winnipeg, MB

Although I've lived in a place like Vancouver, booming with asian culture, particularly Chinese...I have to admit my favorite Chinese restaurant remains right here in my home town of Winnipeg.
I first visited East Ocean on a late night with a friend and was instantly hooked. It was the place to go to after clubbing downtown. Open until 4 I think. Pretty sweet! The restaurant only seats up to 39 people but it doesn't even look like it'd seat that many inside. It's small, the decor is plain, bathrooms aren't very nice...but the food is FANTASTIC!
There's only ever been one or two people working the front. Maybe a man and his wife or sister? They're both really nice but the older man is my fav. I don't know his name but he's remembered me. Even after being away for a couple years he was like, "Hi! Long time no see!!". That right there solidified EO as my fav spot.
Every dish I've ever had has been great. I can honestly say I've never had anything bad there. My favorites are pictured above: deluxe fried rice, hot and sour soup and breaded beef.
The fried rice has this distinct flavor that I'm sure can only come from their woks that've been seasoned and used for years upon years. The hot and sour soup has the perfect amount of heat and sour flavor, filled with mushrooms, tofu, bbq pork, chicken and super duper thinly sliced bamboo. The breaded beef is hands down my fav. It's hard to ever go into the restaurant and not order it. It's extremely tender, not greasy, crunchy, cooked to perfection and when it first comes out - I always get this smell of..a carnival. Weird, right?
Other favorites include their honey spicy chicken, chow mein and shredded duck soup.
I never visit Winnipeg without frequenting this place a few times during my trip. So worth it.
Oh one warning is to be a little more cautious at night. East Ocean isn't located in the best area and last time I went there I was followed by a man under the influence of something to my car. It was a pretty startling experience but honestly wouldn't keep me from going back.

memories of vancity: chicken karaage!!!

I got my first taste of chicken karaage at my favorite izakaya restaurant in vancouver: guu with garlic.
Karaage is a simply prepared fried chicken, Japanese style. At the restaurant it was served with a garlic mayo. Yummo.
My sister requested I make my Japanese Chicken today so I thought I'd change up the recipe a little bit. Usually the chicken is done by frying or baking wings or chicken breast and finishing it in sauce. I found the recipe for Karaage and figured it'd be delicious to prepare the chicken this way and serve it with the sauce drizzled on top instead of cooking the chicken in it to preserve the crunch.
It turned out wonderful. Karaage has a great, crunchy texture without the heaviness that often comes with a traditional fried chicken done with flour, eggs, etc.
It's also marinated first which offers extra juiciness to the finished product and a flavor that'd make the chicken taste good even without a sauce. The sauce itself is soy based and brings the familiar flavors that you would get when you order terriyaki chicken in a Japanese restaurant.
One of the best things about this dish is....it's extremely cheap to make! Boneless, skinless chicken thighs are much cheaper than breasts and most of the other ingredients are inexpensive or even better, already found in your kitchen!

Karaage Ingredients
*4 skinless, boneless chicken thighs, trimmed of excess fat and cut into bite-size pieces
*3 tablespoons soy sauce
*1-inch length ginger root, peeled and finely grated
*1 tablespoon whisky, dry sherry, or sake (optional)
*1/2 cup corn starch
*Vegetable oil for deep frying
*1 lemon, cut into wedges

Procedure
1. Place the chicken pieces in a medium bowl with soy sauce, ginger, and (optional) whiskey. Mix to coat chicken. Marinate, refrigerated, for 30 minutes.

2. Place corn starch in wide, shallow dish. Take each piece of chicken from the marinade and roll in the corn starch until completely coated. Tap chicken to remove excess corn starch, and set aside in a clean bowl.

3. Fill a deep cast-iron skillet, Dutch oven, or deep-fat fryer with enough vegetable oil to come at least 1 1/2 inches up the sides. Over medium-high heat, bring the oil to 350°F (hot but not smoking).

4. Working in batches of 10-12 pieces, gently slip chicken pieces into the oil. Fry until the chicken is a rich golden brown and cooked through, about 4 minutes. Remove chicken from oil with a slotted spoon, and place on paper towels to drain. Repeat with remaining chicken.

5. Serve hot, with lemon wedges for squeezing.

(Recipe from seriouseats.com)

*Sauce

• 3 Tbs Soy Sauce
• 3 Tbs Water
• 1/2 Cup White Vinegar
• 1 Cup White Sugar (I always use less, depends on your taste)
• 1/2 Tsp Salt

Procedure

1. Mix all ingredients in a heavy saucepan
2. Bring up to a simmer on medium/low heat
3. Allow mixture to reduce so the consistency is slighly thicker, like a glaze.
4. Drizzle onto chicken and rice

(recipe courtesy of my friend's momma!)

*The sauce could easily go with another protein. Stir fried beef, salmon or even tofu.

opi + giada

Giada DeLaurentis is one of my favorite Food Network chefs. I love her recipes but I hate her for being able to stay so skinny with all the wonderful food she cooks. Aside from her food, every time I see her on TV I notice two things: She has awesome taste in knives. She uses Global knives! The best!!
Her nails are always nicely manicured with the same colour. I very much love the shade of polish she uses. It reminds me of the classy look of a french manicure without the white tip. I did a search online and quickly noticed I wasn't the only one wondering what colour she used. I read one of her fans met her at a book signing and Giada gave away her secret. She uses OPI's Bubble Bath! I went on a hunt to find them and after going to like 3 stores that were sold out, I bought a bottle at a salon at the mall. Love, love, love it!