tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-91855145908265473192024-03-12T23:25:59.346-04:00The Epicurious DivaA blog dedicated to cooking, eating out, food literature, and anything else that I deem interesting related to food.The Epicurious Divahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18107582123193681801noreply@blogger.comBlogger31125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9185514590826547319.post-35859245118178309852009-12-14T14:47:00.006-05:002009-12-14T15:10:05.434-05:00Potato pizza pie</a>
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2sTBX5RZXTUvAV4O2PPZqktlci-zRoxlmF8MrVzswaLNX4vSa-BVZd4_RnBjTYJnsz9JRp24C5ycxz_b2hKak1LXsEeN23UyqRWVQRRVV8nHdEkU7kvXNy-6Lz2xXNw9DhO85Sbbomug/s1600-h/IMG_0239.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2sTBX5RZXTUvAV4O2PPZqktlci-zRoxlmF8MrVzswaLNX4vSa-BVZd4_RnBjTYJnsz9JRp24C5ycxz_b2hKak1LXsEeN23UyqRWVQRRVV8nHdEkU7kvXNy-6Lz2xXNw9DhO85Sbbomug/s320/IMG_0239.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415181621165074018" /></a>
<br />
<br />Potato pizza was something introduced to me 3 years ago by a coworker. This is an Italian dish that is equally as good as its tomato sauced counterpart but not as well known. It is easy to make, great for sharing and aesthetically pleasing. I made this twice over the weekend and it was a hit amongst my friends.
<br />
<br />INGREDIENTS:
<br />pizza dough (I used store bought whole wheat) OR you can buy ready made pies
<br />1/2 a cup of finely chopped onions
<br />1/2 of a potato sliced thinly
<br />salt, pepper to taste
<br />rosemary to taste
<br />sliced fresh mozzarella cheese
<br />sliced gorgonzola cheese
<br />
<br />DIRECTIONS:
<br />Preheat your oven for 10 minutes at 250 F.
<br />1. Saute potatoes and onions in a skillet with olive oil until lightly browned, add salt and pepper, let it cool
<br />2. On pizza dough, drizzle with olive oil
<br />3. Spread cheeses evenly, or in a pattern on pizza dough
<br />4. Sprinkle rosemary on top
<br />5. Arrange and place potatoes and onions on top.
<br />6. Top with more cheese if desired. Sprinkle on a bit more rosemary.
<br />7. Bake in oven at 350 F for 20 minutes.
<br />
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2wfp92oXwjPhAOWS8Qz424u0mUYGPquDt8H6qG_w6L7ogtPIOAUMFD93UwaVoesp4_x7xDSMHneF4G0ZimAoB5HuB02evye1mTSg3W7Lk3DLtCWt08xxRW4LSPfZfNzTtb_Di19w5I6w/s1600-h/IMG_0244.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2wfp92oXwjPhAOWS8Qz424u0mUYGPquDt8H6qG_w6L7ogtPIOAUMFD93UwaVoesp4_x7xDSMHneF4G0ZimAoB5HuB02evye1mTSg3W7Lk3DLtCWt08xxRW4LSPfZfNzTtb_Di19w5I6w/s320/IMG_0244.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415185718838574306" /></a>
<br />The Epicurious Divahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18107582123193681801noreply@blogger.com30tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9185514590826547319.post-31945172207976949082009-12-07T13:33:00.003-05:002009-12-07T14:02:56.726-05:00Happy (re) birthday<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh45zxG8AOKunu4bcymJnENoa9N4a7gOKWWbSg7dr-faTBHKBPOrKyYqjWp8vlkF5hVLYKUjFLND7w2Z9443HNYT6RnePQKNYJl5ubMPXaPNimh1-1iwIMDbQ2jEwYd1ih0kw-3JtRc7wg/s1600-h/CIMG6063.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh45zxG8AOKunu4bcymJnENoa9N4a7gOKWWbSg7dr-faTBHKBPOrKyYqjWp8vlkF5hVLYKUjFLND7w2Z9443HNYT6RnePQKNYJl5ubMPXaPNimh1-1iwIMDbQ2jEwYd1ih0kw-3JtRc7wg/s320/CIMG6063.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5412570746814666114" /></a><br />The Epicurious Diva: One Meal at a Time<br /><br />This was my one of five birthday cakes from my 26th birthday. My sister bought me this one. The rebirth of my food blog is worthy of a b-day cake photo. I have forgotten how much I love to cook and invent recipes. Just thinking about all the culinary creations that I want to try out is making me excited and happy. Happy Rebirth, Epicurious Diva!The Epicurious Divahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18107582123193681801noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9185514590826547319.post-87687497052955739762009-12-07T13:18:00.005-05:002009-12-07T13:29:06.755-05:00I'm back and I missed you.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLwz7JGkbLJnr2Yzn1H2dmXbzzkl7j76w3rpMw_d66GmWuI1Zun30Yjh0ziJFAxMLIwu2IGkbes-jofqUALHFrr-STvFJ7PZmdIS-8ShUJMRGnIpihlYwGclmhXo-a8dsbyVS2ddpUCHE/s1600-h/IMG_0187.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLwz7JGkbLJnr2Yzn1H2dmXbzzkl7j76w3rpMw_d66GmWuI1Zun30Yjh0ziJFAxMLIwu2IGkbes-jofqUALHFrr-STvFJ7PZmdIS-8ShUJMRGnIpihlYwGclmhXo-a8dsbyVS2ddpUCHE/s320/IMG_0187.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5412561008881160898" /></a><br />The Epicurious Diva: One Meal at a Time<br /><br />Hello, how I've missed you. Forgive me for the neglect. Anyway, don't cry, I'm back and here to share more recipes, musings and rants with you.<br /><br />This photo was taken during my stay at Mwaybe Safari and Hotel in Uganda. It was the first time I've had passion fruit and it tasted exactly like how I imagined it to. It was the perfect balance of sweet and tart and had a unique taste, unlike any other.<br /><br />I'm glad to be back. <br />xoThe Epicurious Divahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18107582123193681801noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9185514590826547319.post-80329252892960220822008-12-20T12:49:00.002-05:002008-12-20T13:13:13.595-05:00Merry Christmas!If this is your first time visiting this blog, it is probably because you've received a present from me.<br />I like giving homemade gifts and I'm a secret (not so secret) green girl. <br />Let's get to the good stuff...<br /><br />Jar contents:<br />Long grain rice<br />chicken broth powder<br />chopped, dried apricots, apples, cranberries, and raisins<br />dried chives, bay leaves<br />salt and pepper<br /><br />One jar serves 6-8 people<br /><br />Directions:<br />Boil a pot of water.<br />In a pot or sauce pan, heat up as much or as little butter as you'd like.<br />Add a little bit of hot water to the pan, stir with a wooden spoon.<br />Add jar contents, stir.<br />Add more water, the contents should be in a soupy state by now.<br />Keep a lid on the pot for a few minutes. Keep your eye on it in case it boils over.<br />Check on the state of the contents. A lot of water should have been absorbed by the rice, so add a bit more water.<br /><br />Cooking time: 15 minutes.<br /><br />Other ideas:<br />Once you are done cooking the rice, the fun doesn't need to stop there. You can also try the following ideas:<br />Put rice in a casserole dish, flatten it until it is leveled. Place sliced/shredded cheese on top. I recommend a sharp, old Cheddar. Crush candied walnuts/pecans/almonds. Sprinkle on top. Bake for 15 minutes.<br /><br />OR YOU COULD DO THIS:<br />Add a can of chicken broth and turn it into a chicken rice soup.<br /><br />OR YOU COULD DO THIS:<br />Make a balsamic glaze to drizzle on top of the rice.<br />Directions for balasmic glaze:<br />in a small sauce pan, heat up balsamic vinegar, brown sugar, salt and pepper.<br /><br />Friends, this jar of rice is really just a blank canvas for your culinary imaginations. I encourage you to listen to your intuition. Leave a comment and or a picture of what you've created.<br /><br />Merry Christmas to all!The Epicurious Divahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18107582123193681801noreply@blogger.com131tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9185514590826547319.post-70894158475029118972008-10-02T01:16:00.005-04:002008-10-02T01:27:53.814-04:00Chick pea penne<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqDddCbaKtu3KoWs742zUr78WZwW1QCfrH0WQ-zRScfwnPrL0PH5ZWzQEWBKTZJFfWPF9U5NU0Y6hzZJkk4_3FsltRmFXZfjMCCmw67XNzk5CHpNQ3_NYhkw2OVZIE5YVzu3-M7qyfEIM/s1600-h/CIMG5618.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqDddCbaKtu3KoWs742zUr78WZwW1QCfrH0WQ-zRScfwnPrL0PH5ZWzQEWBKTZJFfWPF9U5NU0Y6hzZJkk4_3FsltRmFXZfjMCCmw67XNzk5CHpNQ3_NYhkw2OVZIE5YVzu3-M7qyfEIM/s320/CIMG5618.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5252421379586313042" /></a><br /><br />Chick pea penne has a nice ring to it. I was going to call it Chic Penne but that was too lame for my liking.<br />I made this dish a few weeks ago but have only found time now to blog about it.<br />This is vegetarian soul food at its best. Let's review the ingredients:<br /><br />INGREDIENTS:<br />2 cups of penne or whichever pasta you prefer<br />1 can of chick peas (cheap, and oh so healthy)<br />1/2 a chopped red onion<br />1/2 cup of chopped PRE-BOILED squash<br />1/2 cup of chopped grape tomatoes<br />1 cup of tomato sauce<br />salt and pepper to taste<br />2 teaspoons of olive oil<br />as much BASIL as you want<br /><br />DIRECTIONS:<br /><br />1) Boil pasta. I'm not going to teach you how to do that because most of you already know how and if you don't, that's what Google is for. My only tip for you is to add some salt and olive oil to the boiling water. The salt gives the pasta a bit of taste and the olive oil prevents it from sticking.<br /><br />2) In a pan, saute the red onions for 1 minute, then add squash. This is where you can add some seasoning of your choice. I added salt, pepper, and basil. Saute for 3 minutes until the squash is soft and browned.<br /><br />3) Add in chick peas (drain from can and rinse before using).<br /><br />4) Add tomatoes and tomato sauce to the pan. Stir gently.<br /><br />5) Taste it with your long wooden spoon. Is it missing anything? More spice? Needs kick?<br /><br />6) Put sauce on top of pasta and serve.The Epicurious Divahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18107582123193681801noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9185514590826547319.post-46982534934451008882008-08-04T18:56:00.005-04:002008-08-08T00:30:59.435-04:00Summer NightsPaultato and I spent Saturday evening cooking a fabulous summer meal.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5qtt_Hxkr4yoTHREIhdAQPBa2NsSNig0Txv2NojWVXwmrNRRDX0LPid4ujlbW-Dzhq7E9Qax3sc_s3SI09Wp41cQ2ideXRfIVWAlAhDZvf8TJ0julpA6Fp_kqn0iK_F3sSqcXDEoasnY/s1600-h/CIMG5534.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5qtt_Hxkr4yoTHREIhdAQPBa2NsSNig0Txv2NojWVXwmrNRRDX0LPid4ujlbW-Dzhq7E9Qax3sc_s3SI09Wp41cQ2ideXRfIVWAlAhDZvf8TJ0julpA6Fp_kqn0iK_F3sSqcXDEoasnY/s320/CIMG5534.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5230800787842129058" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">First Course: Spinach salad with goat cheese croquets drizzled in balsamic raspberry vinaigrette</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHtYpnqXuqWo3_jFl_rqZfdWePRXoTiDm4OL5yl6EXgwJteDNaMY7ELLc-_k16pPM3fZDEXpNqKw5zhGen57CG54NmBGB1r5AIT5q2ERrvBHW0U6YqgbKfb8pVKkCqlAE_fEnIwy6MULY/s1600-h/CIMG5544.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHtYpnqXuqWo3_jFl_rqZfdWePRXoTiDm4OL5yl6EXgwJteDNaMY7ELLc-_k16pPM3fZDEXpNqKw5zhGen57CG54NmBGB1r5AIT5q2ERrvBHW0U6YqgbKfb8pVKkCqlAE_fEnIwy6MULY/s320/CIMG5544.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5231175842126400082" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Second Course: Butter chicken and veggie "pizza"</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_p7BPH6AbQ4Q/SJjfeyb-<br />h_I/AAAAAAAAAGQ/HFxQ5KvE_-g/s1600-h/CIMG5543.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcsl_LGmRER4sp15miNd6I6IsJ3LoWpr9U0pOQhEKp1ZdT8C283f1P0hx6sA-8BHGIS_NmmziBwuK2O41YgsYm1m_d43J9wO_RdXyR6p3xq4tKd6sZAqxQk_O4sOskw9TMF9aYqteemCc/s320/CIMG5543.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5231176687219017714" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Third Course: Fresh cat sashimi</span><br />Just kidding! That's Madonna (the cat) doing her thang.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />The Epicurious Diva: One Meal at a TimeThe Epicurious Divahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18107582123193681801noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9185514590826547319.post-25856006014689602472008-02-23T17:45:00.002-05:002008-02-23T18:01:17.494-05:00Bruschetta, babyI bought a bag of pesto flavoured pita crisps today but had nothing to eat it with as they were pretty bland on their own.<br />I looked into the fridge and found a container of canned plum tomatoes. <br />At first, I was going to make salsa but personally, I feel that Italian food > Mexican food. Thus, I decided to make bruschetta. I didn't know how to make bruschetta so I had to look up the ingredients online. I didn't really follow it (as usual) but I learned that it requires olive oil and balsamic vinegar. I'm really shocked at just how EASY it is to make this delicious Italian appetizer. This is going to be a staple in my kitchen from now on. I will eat bruschetta as a snack or a meal. I loves it.<br /><br />Here is my recipe for my version of bruschetta:<br /><br />Serves 1-2 people (In my case, one. I ate the entire bowl of tomato goodness.)<br /><strong>Ingredients:</strong><br />1 cup of canned plum tomatoes with liquid in tact<br />1/4 cup of finely chopped red onion (the finer the better to avoid bad breath)<br />salt and pepper to taste<br />a handful of finely chopped basil<br />3 tsp. of olive oil<br />2 tsp. of balsamic vinegar<br /><br /><strong>Directions:</strong><br />Put everything into a bowl and mix!!!<br /><br />Can be used to top crusty bread, or in my case, pesto pitas. I like that the flavour of the pesto complements nicely with the bruschetta.<br /><br />Sorry, no photos today. It was that good.The Epicurious Divahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18107582123193681801noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9185514590826547319.post-58945244006962529612007-12-31T03:51:00.000-05:002007-12-31T04:16:57.887-05:00Last post of 2007: Caprese salad on a stick<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh83xJN0Vnt7Q5npI_OPoGdL1HwI0MAgwl-BUmOBgcyAV6cWSLwb4C8B5B60QLgPAKY2jm6VQ8Q43ApBzZ64w8bztjvs7ISxjgZWgbSscSoT85hXUywLvcuhtVQTIUB3y1l5VRayRSusxY/s1600-h/Picture+194.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh83xJN0Vnt7Q5npI_OPoGdL1HwI0MAgwl-BUmOBgcyAV6cWSLwb4C8B5B60QLgPAKY2jm6VQ8Q43ApBzZ64w8bztjvs7ISxjgZWgbSscSoT85hXUywLvcuhtVQTIUB3y1l5VRayRSusxY/s320/Picture+194.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5150059734113078386" /></a><br /><br />This was another appetizer that I made for the Turducken dinner. I love Caprese salad and thought why not eat it on the go? This isn't really Caprese salad in the sense that I didn't use mozarella, but we can call it my version.<br /><br /><strong>Ingredients:</strong><br />a container of boconcini mini cheese balls (36 in Tre Stelle)<br />a pint of cherry tomatoes<br />toothpicks (I happened to find red and white plastic ones that matched PERFECTLY with the tomatoes and cheese)<br /><br /><strong>Directions:</strong><br />It's pretty simple folks. Just Poke and spear onto the tooth picks.<br /><br />Now for the sauce:<br />The sauce is really just a balsamic vinaigrette.<br /><br /><strong>Ingredients:</strong><br />UGH..I hate measurements. I eye ball and taste as I go along.<br /><br />balsamic vinegar (I use a sweet one)<br />olive oil<br />lemon juice<br />honey<br />brown sugar<br />salt and pepper to taste<br /><br />Stir and serve. <br />Note: This is the same balsamic vinaigrette that I usually use in salads.<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8jSn4a_Fjmgv-QSReZqVW9YwyBh6WyOqydKl7AKHUswqK3QkxRvN9UyqtN9GUaTCcmR5j0nR964fZSK-otzv8WqFOwdAwIpZSLn105t6QTnzx70XTUl9j3iX1ahyphenhyphen3itpiUoY_s4Nk-rw/s1600-h/Picture+195.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8jSn4a_Fjmgv-QSReZqVW9YwyBh6WyOqydKl7AKHUswqK3QkxRvN9UyqtN9GUaTCcmR5j0nR964fZSK-otzv8WqFOwdAwIpZSLn105t6QTnzx70XTUl9j3iX1ahyphenhyphen3itpiUoY_s4Nk-rw/s320/Picture+195.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5150061933136333954" /></a><br /><em>Happy New Year!</em>The Epicurious Divahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18107582123193681801noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9185514590826547319.post-18144577343788307942007-12-29T01:52:00.000-05:002007-12-31T03:51:49.608-05:00Pear & Brie on Focaccia<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4mCKxdL2Vfgl0fKqhyphenhyphen3v6sw30Y6V1HNA2eFz5RNxhMfkP02UpCVc8mouc0Q-L7IQAFk2CKdtzeTM7gTb_YHMXDMZXoZ2sO_3jAYg22EyO4lwT4_nxQbScH8Bq1V_LH-eCZ2ys-fQOBVU/s600-h/Picture+196.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4mCKxdL2Vfgl0fKqhyphenhyphen3v6sw30Y6V1HNA2eFz5RNxhMfkP02UpCVc8mouc0Q-L7IQAFk2CKdtzeTM7gTb_YHMXDMZXoZ2sO_3jAYg22EyO4lwT4_nxQbScH8Bq1V_LH-eCZ2ys-fQOBVU/s320/Picture+196.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5149284939192749138" /></a><br /><br />Isn't this so pretty? I love the use of earth tone colours. (Wow, that sounds lame.) As lame as it is, it is true. Anyway, this was one of my contributions to the Turducken dinner party. I got this idea by looking at a picture and I just ran with it. I wish life was as easy as cooking. *sigh*<br /><br />This was a hit at the party. I was happy with the taste and the appearance. I will definitely make it again. When my best friend comes back from the Philipines, I will make it for her since she loves brie cheese.<br /><strong><br />Ingredients:</strong><br />1 focaccia (mine was store bought), or flat bread, pizza dough<br />1/4 cup of sliced red onions<br />1/2 of a pear, sliced thinly from top to bottom<br />3 teaspoons of brown sugar<br />8 slices of brie cheese (I bought the double cream one so it was extra bubbly in the oven)<br />a few sprigs of lemon zest as garnish<br />salt and pepper to taste<br />olive oil <br /><strong><br />Directions:</strong><br />Place bread on top of parchment paper (flat surface). Brush evenly with olive oil.<br />In a pan, heat up olive oil, begin to carmelize the red onions. Add brown sugar, salt, pepper and stir. That should take about 3 minutes. When done, place evenly on top of the bread.<br />Next, pan fry the pears in olive oil at medium heat. I didn't add anything in the pears, but you could add brown sugar, salt and pepper to taste if you wish. Sometimes I'm a purist and this was one time... I just prefer the natural taste of the pear. Cook the pear slices for about 4 minutes, flip on both sides. Then arrange the pair slices on the bread.<br />Onto the cheese! Arrange the brie cheese slices, alternating with the pear slices.<br /><br />Since I'm a fan of lemon zesting, I added a few sprigs on top. My intention was purely for ashetic purposes but it actually added another dimension of flavour onto the bread! The bitterness of the lemon zest contrasted wonderfully with the sweetness of the pear.<br /><br />Ok, so you've got bitter lemon, sweet pear, salty onions, creamy cheese, and chewy bread. WOW. Enjoy!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCytgtzoVUwx9p3euKfYmkt8Q0WDlfPjvKh44vgYPzuCIyZw_55GiF9y_EAmfxRER95V_5aDirDCQiAw7hFUm8crx3wQBiAmjgDeMJUo8wYGVbg5mAzOQ7q5Ch_ThO_RwJV0DEzKVf9_M/s1600-h/Picture+198.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCytgtzoVUwx9p3euKfYmkt8Q0WDlfPjvKh44vgYPzuCIyZw_55GiF9y_EAmfxRER95V_5aDirDCQiAw7hFUm8crx3wQBiAmjgDeMJUo8wYGVbg5mAzOQ7q5Ch_ThO_RwJV0DEzKVf9_M/s320/Picture+198.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5149285832545946722" /></a><br />Pear & Brie on FocacciaThe Epicurious Divahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18107582123193681801noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9185514590826547319.post-17124406159950887512007-12-28T13:27:00.000-05:002007-12-28T14:02:38.488-05:00The Ever Epic TurduckenA Turducken is a dish consisting of a partially de-boned turkey stuffed with a de-boned duck, which itself is stuffed with a small de-boned chicken. The name is a portmanteau of those ingredients: turkey, duck, and chicken. The cavity of the chicken and the rest of the gaps are filled with, at the very least, a highly seasoned breadcrumb mixture or sausage meat, although some versions have a different stuffing for each bird. <br /><strong><em>Courtesy of good ol' Wiki</em></strong><br /><br />My friends Aldous and Christina (incidentally in-laws) successfully cooked a turducken for a party of 15 last night. It was my first time eating one and the verdict is that it was delicious. Albeit, one serving is over 1000 calories, I believe it it well worth those extra sit ups. I proposed to make it a post-Christmas tradition amongst us, I think everyone except for the chefs agreed with me. =p<br /><br />Here are some pictures of the delightful bird(s):<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEdRXmBw40SKWlboJYF3dFWyrN2ytorKQtNSqZIYWZWu1o_9pOV2lVe-9jQATJqKZZBgQDCUo3dXR-XhmOoxK8YAyEM1D-NjgJapWTsiR6aIjBFyy4WYiLWujQtMAoV2ChFvxcf__JLo8/s1600-h/Picture+201.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEdRXmBw40SKWlboJYF3dFWyrN2ytorKQtNSqZIYWZWu1o_9pOV2lVe-9jQATJqKZZBgQDCUo3dXR-XhmOoxK8YAyEM1D-NjgJapWTsiR6aIjBFyy4WYiLWujQtMAoV2ChFvxcf__JLo8/s320/Picture+201.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5149094899774803010" /></a><br /><br />Error uploading, more to come. =)The Epicurious Divahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18107582123193681801noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9185514590826547319.post-3534514138809000222007-12-16T14:00:00.000-05:002007-12-16T14:48:01.096-05:00Term of Endearment: Soupy?<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjCu5kKuo835WUgc99c5lMoBjhVvgMzfNwMMNfgGssCZpLQXaw-LfrOnRCoGz7EE-oEfazAGrwSlr_pQCNXMdbywRlXzlo1-81oeMkmFhqdVWkP7m-oudFkmpagzB6Jt7WqP1OvFEcWrE/s1600-h/Picture+188.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjCu5kKuo835WUgc99c5lMoBjhVvgMzfNwMMNfgGssCZpLQXaw-LfrOnRCoGz7EE-oEfazAGrwSlr_pQCNXMdbywRlXzlo1-81oeMkmFhqdVWkP7m-oudFkmpagzB6Jt7WqP1OvFEcWrE/s320/Picture+188.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5144648972968283170" /></a><br /><br />I want a soup man. That's right, a man who will make me soup. :)<br />This is a picture of "The Original Soupman" made famous by Seinfield. I ate there as my last meal in NYC. For $12, I had a bowl of soup (crab bisque), apple, piece of chocolate, bottled water and a chicken panini. YUM-O!<br /><br />I long for soup in the cold weather. Soup on a cold day really has the ability to hit the spot. It satisfies me to a tee! Today I made a soup that combines Eastern and Western soup "philosophies". Asian people prefer watery soups whereas Western soups are a lot thicker and stew-like. I made a soup today that uses Asian ingredients, but cooked Western style.<br /><br /><strong>Alie's Winter Soup</strong><br /><br /><strong>Ingredients:</strong><br />1/2 cup of chicken broth<br />1 cup of cold water<br />3 tsp of corn starch<br />2 cloves of garlic<br />1 giant king oyster mushroom, julienned<br />2 large shitake mushrooms, chopped into tiny bite size pieces<br />1/2 of a bar of fried fish cake (totally optional), sliced<br />7 large dried scallops (this is the money right here, baby!)<br />1/2 cup of squash, chopped into tiny bite size pieces<br />1 tsp of white cooking wine<br />1 bunch of vermacelli, cooked<br /><br /><strong>Directions:</strong><br /><br />Additional prep work:<br />You need to cook the vermacelli noodles and dried scallops before putting it in the soup. In a pot of boiling water, put in vermacelli noodles and dried scallops. Cook for 10 minutes. Drain water into a strainer.<br /><br />Let's get on with the soup!<br /><br />Turn the stove to a med-high heat. In a pot, add a tsp of olive oil and when the oil heats up, add in chopped garlic. When the garlic is infused, add in shitake and king oyster mushrooms. Keep stirring. Add in fish cake slices, dried scallops and squash. Keep stirring. Add in white cooking wine. At this point, the ingredients are almost cooked. Add in chicken broth. Keep stirring. Add cold water mixed with corn starch into the pot. Keep stirring. Finally, add in vermacelli noodles. Keep stirring! Turn to a low-medium heat and keep it simmering for 10 minutes.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjljUJbRG7ih8wQdC5MA2q3wZcYXqXZRWEPVIicKe2XPcO2dthnK4_CIPajZ7nLdbKFYqvF-c2jH_RUHYsYITx9XAAx56c9VHktiTVLPMU14mRA2UUth8oZvNFRxLarZVOItk5IGX76kus/s1600-h/Picture+192.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjljUJbRG7ih8wQdC5MA2q3wZcYXqXZRWEPVIicKe2XPcO2dthnK4_CIPajZ7nLdbKFYqvF-c2jH_RUHYsYITx9XAAx56c9VHktiTVLPMU14mRA2UUth8oZvNFRxLarZVOItk5IGX76kus/s320/Picture+192.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5144653366719826994" /></a>The Epicurious Divahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18107582123193681801noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9185514590826547319.post-64209650417319874042007-12-16T13:26:00.000-05:002007-12-16T13:57:19.321-05:00Soul Food: Love in a PanIt has been snowing non-stop for the past twelve hours. Everything that I was supposed to do today has been cancelled. Thus, I spent the day cooking. =) Even when I was half awake and stirring in bed, I was dreaming up recipes of what to create today.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBXc8yo5OXjwLUPNbH67L9tn68oAp26v9EIV3AK5_ggiGJKJNBheewybck9qvBjm9a8BSd225iPebPF8VYvz1zoT2GUVfZYgtoUz6N4132RyJZjOtKSZb-NXucCG55nhAeRlzCepspJgQ/s1600-h/Picture+191.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBXc8yo5OXjwLUPNbH67L9tn68oAp26v9EIV3AK5_ggiGJKJNBheewybck9qvBjm9a8BSd225iPebPF8VYvz1zoT2GUVfZYgtoUz6N4132RyJZjOtKSZb-NXucCG55nhAeRlzCepspJgQ/s320/Picture+191.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5144642143970282498" /></a><br /><br /><em><br />I wanted something warm, gooey and comforting.</em><br /><strong><br />Ingredients:</strong><br />8 small Russet potatoes, sliced in 3<br />1/2 cup of corn <br />1/2 cup of shredded squash<br />salt and pepper to taste<br />2 tsp. of organic salted butter<br />1 pinch of herb de provence<br />3 tsp. of dill<br />1 sprig of parsley<br />a few slices of cheddar cheese<br />a dash of chicken broth<br />a dash of milk<br />2 cloves of garlic<br /><br /><strong>Directions:</strong><br />I basically put everything in a pan and baked it. haha. Ok, here goes:<br />First you put a tsp or so of olive oil onto the pan. Then you add in the chopped gloves of garlic. Then you slice the potatoes (3 to 1) a throw them into the pan. Add in the milk and chicken broth. Then you add in the squash, and season away! You top the pan with the corn, cheese and butter.<br />Bake in the oven at 400 C for 40 minutes.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6lecMS_JYgYuLgs755Fo8uJ7a9EpHGWlrRRq_pc2Ac2MNTt1kQobG6AEVY3ma_flFE-PQa7iEtUbjUOUNZb02kqCuczkHdDkdKgcL4FYUR3FbQjPuGNo7JTw50mi6UYB-8CYPzfnQjZA/s1600-h/Picture+190.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6lecMS_JYgYuLgs755Fo8uJ7a9EpHGWlrRRq_pc2Ac2MNTt1kQobG6AEVY3ma_flFE-PQa7iEtUbjUOUNZb02kqCuczkHdDkdKgcL4FYUR3FbQjPuGNo7JTw50mi6UYB-8CYPzfnQjZA/s320/Picture+190.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5144645906361633810" /></a>The Epicurious Divahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18107582123193681801noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9185514590826547319.post-6333620163406935172007-12-05T00:03:00.000-05:002007-12-05T00:10:48.818-05:00Epic!Are you a self-professed foodie? <br />Do you like to try out new restaurants? <br />Do you like to create your own gastronomical delights?<br /><br />If this sounds like you, then you might be interested in joining a diner's club that I'm in the process of establishing. This group of diners will meet once a month to try out a restaurant. The restaurant doesn't have to be expensive/fancy but somtimes will be (because we all like to be high rollers now and then). We plan to kick this off in the new year. <br /><br />Leave me a message if you're interested in joning. Spaces are limited.The Epicurious Divahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18107582123193681801noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9185514590826547319.post-49640717993437923432007-11-14T16:11:00.000-05:002007-11-14T16:51:55.219-05:00Mango shrimps sleeping on an arugula bed<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVjcC9dApbyDZhTOvHZmnv1b1YBySn359Sp96gEVfz-X2QCKRSryxhyphenhyphen2fPzaoQq5ItpGagtHX1pcfZNg8vI1UqO7_3xYax12lfXuTy1Y6Ab3DMTJ7Mk4PDE8765T58-YApF_UoZZPZnWw/s1600-h/Picture+137.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVjcC9dApbyDZhTOvHZmnv1b1YBySn359Sp96gEVfz-X2QCKRSryxhyphenhyphen2fPzaoQq5ItpGagtHX1pcfZNg8vI1UqO7_3xYax12lfXuTy1Y6Ab3DMTJ7Mk4PDE8765T58-YApF_UoZZPZnWw/s320/Picture+137.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5132808357733150914" /></a><br />I went to the grocery store today and picked up some goodies including "President's Choice Blue Menu Mango Vinaigrette." I had the intention of using it as a meat marinade today but I had no meat...instead I found a dozen jumbo shrimps in the freezer. Thus, mango shrimps was born! I bought one bunch of arugula and had forgotten that if I don't get the organic baby arugula, it's SOOOOO bitter. However, the sweetness of the mango sauce evens it out.<br /><br /><strong>Ingredients (serves 2):</strong><br />12 jumbo shrimp, thawed<br />2 leaves of chopped fresh basil<br />sea salt, pepper, garlic power, paprika to taste<br />2 tsp. of soy sauce<br />3 tbsp. of mango vinaigrette<br />6 leaves of arugula<br />1 tsp. of lemon juice<br /><strong><br />Directions:</strong><br />In a bowl, marinade shrimp with basil, sea salt, pepper,paprika, lemon juice and stir.<br />Heat sauce pan with olive oil at med-low heat, put shrimp in and cook for 2 minutes while continually stirring. Pour in mango vinaigrette and it's OK to be generous! Add soy sauce and keep stirring for 2 more minutes.<br /><br />Wash and cut arugula leaves and plate it. Put shrimp on top. I added some strips of proscuitto on top as well to balance out the strong taste of arugula.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrlyegg91GDf7QXXM4D1bwHsTlEyfa84KIDKB-OGxKtAS-CibvZxRgegtTc_VEB5SLVjYU7tj61CojF8zii-32rzBZ34S3cQv1oGyVw24g4hBr8rpRizmQe7Zztb4mlfo6xk_GNlnQuqs/s1600-h/Picture+138.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrlyegg91GDf7QXXM4D1bwHsTlEyfa84KIDKB-OGxKtAS-CibvZxRgegtTc_VEB5SLVjYU7tj61CojF8zii-32rzBZ34S3cQv1oGyVw24g4hBr8rpRizmQe7Zztb4mlfo6xk_GNlnQuqs/s320/Picture+138.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5132814748644487378" /></a>The Epicurious Divahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18107582123193681801noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9185514590826547319.post-46742652232224775502007-11-04T15:06:00.000-05:002007-11-04T15:19:25.738-05:00Veal Chop and Herbed Vegetables<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_qZ1w0FIb9EJjiDl3mwMvJbruJdE4DzJ1i7y-YRQJvmEcmq7osHvWXO1dMHHKOlXrQQOLtI1VHoLuT0JSiuKXPwjUIzsDkKoO43Kt1lGWpZnVTRXPbQhdwSM-7ysOm6JIYyxQ_DZkPms/s1600-h/Picture+124.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_qZ1w0FIb9EJjiDl3mwMvJbruJdE4DzJ1i7y-YRQJvmEcmq7osHvWXO1dMHHKOlXrQQOLtI1VHoLuT0JSiuKXPwjUIzsDkKoO43Kt1lGWpZnVTRXPbQhdwSM-7ysOm6JIYyxQ_DZkPms/s320/Picture+124.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5129079511470754818" /></a><br />I would have to say that I'm quite proud of this dish. The presentation is nothing fancy but it does it's job. On the other hand, the taste was spectacular. Again, this recipe is not difficult as I don't really believe in slaving away for a good meal. A good meal should be made with a few simple steps. I would have to say that this dish is restaurant worthy, again, maybe not in presentation but the taste...wow.<br /><br />Ingredients:<br />For the Veal:<br />1 Veal Chop (It was on sale at the grocery store!)<br />A few sprigs of chopped parsley<br />salt and pepper to taste<br />1 clove of chopped garlic<br />1 tsp. of balsamic vinegar<br />1 tsp. of fig infused white vinegar (totally optional, I was just being fancy)<br />1 tsp. of dried rosemary<br /><br />For the vegetables:<br />You can use whatever you like. In this dish, I used:<br />2 red potatoes, chopped into wedges<br />2 carrots, chopped into wedges<br />1/4 of a red onion, chopped into wedges<br />1/4 cup of chopped parsley<br />salt and pepper to taste<br />2 cloves of garlic, chopped<br />2 tsps. of paprika<br />1 tsp. of brown sugar<br />3 tsps. of flour (to coat the veggies)<br />2 tbsps. of olive oil<br /><br />Directions:<br />For the veal:<br />Marinate veal in all the ingredients listed above for as long or as little as you'd like. The ingredients that I have chosen for the veal are pretty strong in flavour that they actually don't require much marinating time. However, if you have the time to let it sit, by all means because the meat will be extra flavourful.<br /><br />Heat a pan, add 1 tsp. of olive oil, add a bit of chopped garlic to be infused in the oil (Chinese trick). When the pan is ready, pan fry the veal, give 2 minutes to each side for a medium rare.<br /><br />For the vegetables:<br />In a mixing bowl, add veggies and all the ingredients listed above. Mix, mix and mix some more. Then in a baking pan, add olive oil to the pan. Put the vegetables in the pan and drizzle olive oil on top of the veggies.<br />Pre-heat oven to 350 C for 10 minutes, then bake the dish for 30 minutes at 350C.<br /><br />*You can add some veggie/chicken broth to the vegetables if you want them to be more tender.The Epicurious Divahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18107582123193681801noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9185514590826547319.post-77410230062808258472007-11-04T14:32:00.000-05:002007-11-04T15:00:25.463-05:00Chicken Breast Whatchamacallits<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu9WEMnREzxz-MQAZFUFNi68dZ-0QYWnYnbIgFylbVw7x_pgTaz7IcLN5anr0DV6hIId9z95QyDUuEJFAViq4-GM1oa0KZKw4ixb8ET-3iCUY4UrfLay2NDE-PWuhFhJfOKkrGJZLtr08/s1600-h/Picture+128.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu9WEMnREzxz-MQAZFUFNi68dZ-0QYWnYnbIgFylbVw7x_pgTaz7IcLN5anr0DV6hIId9z95QyDUuEJFAViq4-GM1oa0KZKw4ixb8ET-3iCUY4UrfLay2NDE-PWuhFhJfOKkrGJZLtr08/s320/Picture+128.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5129074546488560578" /></a><br /><br />This was dinner a few nights ago. Again, I don't really like to plan in advance, because it is more interesting to create with what you have in the fridge. I don't have a name for this dish, or at least nothing creative, so this dish will remain nameless until I or anyone else can come up with something worthy to name it.<br /><br />Ingredients:<br />1 large chicken breast sliced into thin sheets<br />Proscuitto slices<br />1/4 chopped red onion<br />1/4 cup of feta cheese cubes<br />salt and pepper to taste<br />1 cup of arugla, chopped<br />2 tsps. of soy sauce<br />1/2 cup of chopped parsley<br /><br />Directions:<br />Marinate sliced chicken breast with your choice of herbs, soy sauce, salt and pepper. Let it sit for a bit while you make the topping. <br />For the topping:<br />In a bowl, mix together red onions, feta cheese, arugula, parsley, and salt and pepper to taste, you can add some garlic powder too, I did. =)<br />Place chicken breasts on a baking tray and add the topping on top of the chicken breasts.<br />Add a slice of proscuitto to top it off.<br />Pre-heat oven to 350 C for 10 minutes.<br />Bake chicken at 350 C for 25 minutes.<br /><br />Enjoy!<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2xb5cLGLs4ido5xtVAqk8AJwSU0l0oNBokc-TKdaUG6kgMX1xY_0zi0AzSMTIeAHCG1asXCClUApFIi8UqRLHmn0TH83pWzCWSBNchbFFuVLDrzibs2Ia2VtSokvPoI82f-KFMwsQUVI/s1600-h/Picture+130.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2xb5cLGLs4ido5xtVAqk8AJwSU0l0oNBokc-TKdaUG6kgMX1xY_0zi0AzSMTIeAHCG1asXCClUApFIi8UqRLHmn0TH83pWzCWSBNchbFFuVLDrzibs2Ia2VtSokvPoI82f-KFMwsQUVI/s320/Picture+130.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5129077265202858962" /></a>The Epicurious Divahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18107582123193681801noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9185514590826547319.post-90162526592936424092007-10-22T14:13:00.000-04:002007-10-22T14:36:51.989-04:00Chickpeas Chic<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkRh5LJhX0UJavJ-cEV6Zo6A0MJyLyEZcTh-KWiCqq7nige6jBEOrkj2-1EzgX7ePPTJXtU0XovNqrPf_jOwljvONApaspDUGc3yylxHG4FhJGeNm-2X6a522hzLOz189srjzqTOV22bw/s1600-h/Picture+127.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkRh5LJhX0UJavJ-cEV6Zo6A0MJyLyEZcTh-KWiCqq7nige6jBEOrkj2-1EzgX7ePPTJXtU0XovNqrPf_jOwljvONApaspDUGc3yylxHG4FhJGeNm-2X6a522hzLOz189srjzqTOV22bw/s320/Picture+127.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5124230754114197122" /></a><br /><br />This is a recipe I made up on the spot. I saw a can of chick peas and thought it would be a good way to ease in to becoming a full vegetarian. There are meat products in this dish, but they can be easily substituted with veggie products.<br /><br /><strong>Ingredients:</strong><br />1 can of chick peas<br />1/2 of a chorizo sausage chopped into small pieces<br />a few shreds of proscuitto<br />7 cherry tomatoes<br />1 clove of chopped garlic<br />2 tsps. of white vinegar<br />1/4 cup of chicken broth<br />1/2 of a sliced onion<br />2 tsps. of paprika<br />salt, pepper to taste<br />parsley, oregano to taste<br /><br /><strong>Directions:</strong><br />In a pan, heat olive oil, add garlic and onions, saute.<br />Add sausage, keep stirring.<br />Add white vinegar.<br />Add paprika.<br />Drain can of chick peas, add into pan.<br />Add tomatoes. <br />Add salt, pepper, parsley, oregano to taste.<br />The mixture should be pretty dry, so add in chicken broth. As the liquid evaporates, you can keep adding water to keep it moist.<br />Finally, when it is close to being cooked (about 6 minutes on med. heat), you can add in the proscuitto slices. Proscuitto cooks extremely fast, so it is always best to add it in at the last minute.<br /><br /><strong>Preparation time: </strong>6 minutes, just a bit of chopping<br /><strong>Cooking time:</strong> 6 minutes (chick peas from the can are pre-cooked, so you're just cooking them to make them a bit softer and for the infusion of flavours.)<br /><br />I'm not sure what type of cuisine this falls under, it's just something I made up and it was delicious. It's quite healthy as it is high in protein and the spices make it so flavourful. Chick peas are quite filling and are carb like, but are not heavy like carbs. <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq3iTUSoPMdYhTB3Hvh7Ud40iXrHYgJxOsFtre8zmhGCk5ecyApWoKRNz7NCA1qtvhE3HKrnl21uMxiJobRQ0WQpvtPLt5bsHE2JxMonyqmlaNpnKHRG11bLtUWVGJLBbNBMNT3UqIl6E/s1600-h/Picture+126.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq3iTUSoPMdYhTB3Hvh7Ud40iXrHYgJxOsFtre8zmhGCk5ecyApWoKRNz7NCA1qtvhE3HKrnl21uMxiJobRQ0WQpvtPLt5bsHE2JxMonyqmlaNpnKHRG11bLtUWVGJLBbNBMNT3UqIl6E/s320/Picture+126.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5124231793496282770" /></a>The Epicurious Divahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18107582123193681801noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9185514590826547319.post-22789736114656248412007-10-01T13:17:00.000-04:002007-10-02T01:23:12.715-04:00Alas, salad<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIloJ2Uhc4Qo-dJdif6HTJ9sFYr1uPQguykQwbyFv5Ck4nGG-37AHWdbS0guNFO3A1urnVwBHUGgHqPP_1kM5OSVk_GQK6yA0K8vk2LGYW_ixscLlyHuFAfJHokVIOunw8oR9adTOildw/s1600-h/Picture+117.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIloJ2Uhc4Qo-dJdif6HTJ9sFYr1uPQguykQwbyFv5Ck4nGG-37AHWdbS0guNFO3A1urnVwBHUGgHqPP_1kM5OSVk_GQK6yA0K8vk2LGYW_ixscLlyHuFAfJHokVIOunw8oR9adTOildw/s320/Picture+117.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5116419751033993442" /></a><br /><br />I had a beautiful weekend and to mark the end of such a beautiful time, I have made a good meal to go with it. Alas, I have made a colourful, fulfilling salad. I haven't eaten since 5pm yesterday and it is now twenty hours later. So yes, I am rather hungry and need to satisfy my sweet and salty tooth simultaneously. I just came back from the market and bought lots of fresh, organic goodies; fit for a foodie.<br /><br />I'm going to call this salad: "Jared's Arugula Salad w/ Honey Balsamic Vinaigrette." I know, the name strays from my usual creativity, however, I must pay dues to the brother I never had. Jared absolutely loves arugula and the other ingredients I have chosen to put in this salad. Also, he's the one who showed me how to make this dressing. He likes more balsamic, I like more oil, he likes more lemon, I like more pepper. We have our differences, but on the whole, we KNOW food.<br /><br /><strong>Ingredients:</strong><br />Makes ONE serving. Dining alone for one, baby.<br />2 cups of organic baby arugula leaves<br />2-3 tbsps. of extra virgin olive oil<br />1 tsp. of aged balsamic vinegar<br />7 grape tomatoes, halved<br />3 slices of proscuitto<br />1 handful of organic green raisins<br />1 lemon wedge<br />1 tsp. of honey<br />1 tsp. of brown sugar<br /><br /><strong>Directions:</strong><br /><br />1)Wash n' spin arugula, plate it<br />2)Slice grape tomatoes in half<br />3) Tear proscuitto into pieces<br />4) Toss raisins onto the plate<br />5) Have fun and arrange your food the way you want it to look. =)<br /><br /><strong>How to make the dressing:</strong><br />This is probably my favourite dressing; it is so good that I never want to eat store- bought dressings again.<br />In a bowl or glass, pour in olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper to taste, honey, brown sugar and then stir vigorously. Do a dance while you stir, it will make it more fun. =) I was listening to Iron and Wine when I was making this.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKAMyTUd2raawvXa2229V7qusHLTBgi2HNAwVQTA03UyOlxsOxD74cGVFA2uT5q0GYQJRfuu1nYu5IDQM7rxb08yuto7zL5UyFBPaIonSxsFW8jcjN-bYpeC27llPBvG3BYKAo4QLyGOw/s1600-h/Picture+118.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKAMyTUd2raawvXa2229V7qusHLTBgi2HNAwVQTA03UyOlxsOxD74cGVFA2uT5q0GYQJRfuu1nYu5IDQM7rxb08yuto7zL5UyFBPaIonSxsFW8jcjN-bYpeC27llPBvG3BYKAo4QLyGOw/s320/Picture+118.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5116423320151816434" /></a><br /><br /><br />Enjoy! Alas, salad! (It's supposed to rhyme when you say it. Think French accent.)The Epicurious Divahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18107582123193681801noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9185514590826547319.post-76945506061706527022007-08-29T13:36:00.000-04:002007-08-29T13:46:28.717-04:00Where did it go?Lately, I haven't been much of a chef or an eater. I seem to have lost my desire to enjoy the beauty of food. Life is rather confusing for me right now. I'm at the end of a fork in the road. The destination of either path is unknown. I'm not scared, I'm not angry, I'm just...I'm out of feelings. I'm indifferent. I have no preferences or desires. Hence, my penchant for cooking and great tasting things has disappeared. Fear not my friends, based on past experiences, this <em>should</em> be temporary.<br /><br />My current diet consists of coffee and Kashi Go Lean cereal, minus the lactose free milk. I've been too preoccupied to even do groceries.<br /><br />Do you tend to eat more when you're sad or happy? I eat more when I'm at peace with myself. I seldom lose my appetite, even when I'm sick, or I'm grieving over a death, I still eat and with gusto, mind you. Right now, I can't injest anything.<br /><br />Excuse me while I make a cup of coffee.The Epicurious Divahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18107582123193681801noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9185514590826547319.post-83010652784902705162007-08-21T13:43:00.000-04:002007-08-21T14:19:34.882-04:00Baked Potato FriesSince I've been pretty busy with cleaning and redecorating my room, I haven't had much time to do anything else, ie. buying groceries. So without much to choose from in my fridge, I take out a few potatoes and stare at them for a minute. During that minute, I stare at the potatoes and they stare at me. Then finally, I hear: "Bake me like a fry!" Who am I to say no?<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc3cQIb0bGA-VBnK1Cvlk91Tigtywo5a-AfK55_mbTLTrXxWpr_l9v2y6DzthZPYTA4N99CuAOsDmjNmc03SVRe4_52vYv3NokTbpgdK5n2Hid1HuamKwe0WpnUz2q-hNDjCIErbYPR08/s1600-h/Picture+096.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc3cQIb0bGA-VBnK1Cvlk91Tigtywo5a-AfK55_mbTLTrXxWpr_l9v2y6DzthZPYTA4N99CuAOsDmjNmc03SVRe4_52vYv3NokTbpgdK5n2Hid1HuamKwe0WpnUz2q-hNDjCIErbYPR08/s320/Picture+096.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5101215249721132434" /></a><br /><br /><strong>Ingredients:</strong><br />4 potatoes (any kind will do)<br />1 clove of garlic<br />4 tablespoons of olive oil<br />3/4 cup of flour<br />sea salt<br />pepper<br />paprika<br />juice of 2 lemon slices<br />herbs, seasoning of your choice<br />nutmeg<br /><em>I haven't included measurements for the spices because it is entirely up to the chef. </em><br /><br /><strong>Directions:</strong><br />1) Wash potatoes. Leave the skin on.<br />2) Slice potatoes into long rectangular slices (like a fry, duh).<br />3) In a bowl, add potato slices, sqeeze lemon juice, add olive oil, sea salt, pepper, paprika, nutmeg, other herbs and seasoning that you enjoy.<br />4) Mix well to ensure that each fry is coated in oil and spices.<br />5) Add flour to the fries, just enough to be "dusted."<br />6) Line baking tray with wax paper.<br />7) Put fries on the tray, and try not to let them overlap as much as possible.<br />8) Sprinkle on chopped garlic and if you'd like, more flour. The flour gives it a crispier and thicker texture.<br />9) Bake in oven for 30 minutes at 350C.<br />10)Let it cool for a few minutes before you devour them.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg53ZNl-FZ3mYpkwzCXLnAfRRlhjDfF3uKyRD5GxXl6nE9TrPY05xp4o1_di_dYZ6a3p5c4VxpvPbDDZVwbvDD-U1P0QsJxds6FKpcC4zmxBzbXpf-OpA3x8Rx6dpufqYEcg1z9Qa2qi5w/s1600-h/Picture+097.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg53ZNl-FZ3mYpkwzCXLnAfRRlhjDfF3uKyRD5GxXl6nE9TrPY05xp4o1_di_dYZ6a3p5c4VxpvPbDDZVwbvDD-U1P0QsJxds6FKpcC4zmxBzbXpf-OpA3x8Rx6dpufqYEcg1z9Qa2qi5w/s320/Picture+097.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5101217251175892386" /></a>The Epicurious Divahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18107582123193681801noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9185514590826547319.post-8004878797855735312007-08-20T15:53:00.000-04:002007-08-20T16:41:13.571-04:00Pasta AmoreIt would be a very long list if I had to list all the reasons why pasta was so good. We'll just leave it that pasta is so good. =) I woke up at 12:45pm with a hankering for something filling and warm. I looked in my pantry and found some rotini pasta calling my name. I happily obliged and cooked away.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieDqRmq65ptmJMeqOzM2klq_NqEmNzv4s7fmlAGQpbJZdqwB_MrQAN5fgxcbvvhXwkAIkvhjIblNz2UnkTYmgZJ4ZcMkcBSDUoY-0_3mzBIPOazb72KPr5OgW2Pq75CH3_zGzvDJHRwps/s1600-h/Picture+092.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieDqRmq65ptmJMeqOzM2klq_NqEmNzv4s7fmlAGQpbJZdqwB_MrQAN5fgxcbvvhXwkAIkvhjIblNz2UnkTYmgZJ4ZcMkcBSDUoY-0_3mzBIPOazb72KPr5OgW2Pq75CH3_zGzvDJHRwps/s320/Picture+092.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5100874933692466530" /></a><br /><br /><strong>Ingredients:</strong><br />2 cups of rotini pasta<br />2 cloves of garlic, chopped<br />2 tablespoons of olive oil<br />1 chicken breast fillet, sliced<br />6 grape tomatoes, cut in half<br />2 tablespoons of cream<br />1 cup of milk (I use skim)<br />3 tablespoons of broth (I use vegetable)<br />3 small chunks of blue cheese<br />3 small chunks of baby parmesan cheese (you don't need to grate it because it melts in the pan)<br />3 teaspoons of corn starch<br />1 teaspoon of chili flakes<br />a little bit of lemon zest<br />lots of black pepper, salt to taste<br /><br /><strong>Directions:</strong><br />1) Boil pasta. I'm not going to teach you how to do that. Just read the package instructions!<br />2) In a pan, heat up olive oil, then add garlic when oil is heated.<br />3) Add chicken, lemon zest, salt and pepper to taste.<br />4) Add tomatoes.<br />5) Add cream and broth. Stir vigorously.<br />6) In a cup, pour in milk and add corn starch. Stir and make sure there are no clumps. Add in pan.<br />7) Keep stiring everything in the pan. The sauce should be thickening at this point.<br />8) Add blue and parmesan cheese into the pan. Keep stirring.<br />9) Smell it and tell me you don't love it.<br />10) Add chili flakes, salt, pepper. This step is optional.<br />11) After rinsing the pasta in cold water and straining the water, add pasta into the pan.<br />12) Stir and make sure the pasta is coated in the sauce.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgTsT66OgA-BgZMzI-aegT1QNaVyjrX3U3zh0TytxgDenKXkcFx1hfe3LUAGURE_6VvGoValpzVWd-r2R8CE0FnnEv2RZADdn_EWvuC-XB1NDjAicaUcRQGrN_EyynZ5kG3NFmy3yFBYY/s1600-h/Picture+093.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgTsT66OgA-BgZMzI-aegT1QNaVyjrX3U3zh0TytxgDenKXkcFx1hfe3LUAGURE_6VvGoValpzVWd-r2R8CE0FnnEv2RZADdn_EWvuC-XB1NDjAicaUcRQGrN_EyynZ5kG3NFmy3yFBYY/s320/Picture+093.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5100880109128058226" /></a><br /><br />This serves 2-3 people.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBnnjYcVuahWoTxMIoVY7_IERWyRC0jsFPfx9vlHcZ2KQghyphenhyphenCrup4r-q6NRmJ8a806Oztn4fv9NhPT9eXERe560p2er2ovaFMOQnl7yOuY1q0rOpHdnMwZyJs9sTg6J4hqcz9YcbG6obg/s1600-h/Picture+094.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBnnjYcVuahWoTxMIoVY7_IERWyRC0jsFPfx9vlHcZ2KQghyphenhyphenCrup4r-q6NRmJ8a806Oztn4fv9NhPT9eXERe560p2er2ovaFMOQnl7yOuY1q0rOpHdnMwZyJs9sTg6J4hqcz9YcbG6obg/s320/Picture+094.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5100881595186742658" /></a>The Epicurious Divahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18107582123193681801noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9185514590826547319.post-70310304510174022022007-08-20T14:09:00.000-04:002007-08-20T15:53:04.346-04:00A Quiche in 5 Bites5 Bite Quiche, 2 if you're hungry.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA49zT3LufD39PfdUQj-cX4_GY4y3abiG5sLwwY2Bp5xeX_wZNDpRBZM8XU9OL4Qio_iQw0fcGEmvo69DAyQTj4TZNwmNMB6UgJKs_guk2dofTadlTzp9i8M6oTOdMUY8rLQDz6Iw5yVc/s1600-h/Picture+091.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA49zT3LufD39PfdUQj-cX4_GY4y3abiG5sLwwY2Bp5xeX_wZNDpRBZM8XU9OL4Qio_iQw0fcGEmvo69DAyQTj4TZNwmNMB6UgJKs_guk2dofTadlTzp9i8M6oTOdMUY8rLQDz6Iw5yVc/s320/Picture+091.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5100851221178025282" /></a><br />I was invited to go to my friend's house for dinner, so I decided to make something that was people friendly and easy to eat. I was also really tired from buying new furniture and cleaning all day, so it had to be something easy to make.<br /><br /><strong>Ingredients:</strong><br />4 eggs<br />12 personal unsweetened pie shells (I get the no name kind)<br />2 basil leaves, chopped<br />1/2 cup of Balderson's strong cheddar cheese, grated<br />1/4 cup of Baby Paremesan cheese, grated<br />6 grape tomatoes cut in half<br />*1 chunk of proscuitto cut into many more tiny chunks<br /><br /><em>*I hate measurements.</em><br /><br /><strong>Directions:</strong><br />1) In a mixing bowl, crack all 4 eggs and whisk. Add salt and pepper to taste. Personally, I skip the salt because the proscuitto is very salty. <br />2) Add basil, proscuitto and both cheeses into the bowl. Whisk, whisk and whisk some more! <br /><em>*I know most quiche recipes use Swiss cheese, but I'm not a fan, so yeah, cheddar it is.</em><br />3) Pre-heat the oven (I use a convection oven) for 10 minutes at 350C.<br />3) Pour the contents of the bowl into the pie shells. Don't let it get too full because the egg will rise when you bake it.<br />4) Top each quiche with a grape tomato half.<br />5) Bake for 25 minutes at 350C.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUgJoENsuuQKlVyoBS_ozIKo5LlrJQY5MdHuFtFVlTuHSQcg1jdRxoQriCZGAbXK5iNj-dJVR-nPzZs70R7TnryLFLRGEoa-OtWpa_1C96OKehNIRHLumCLmWhErRyH_f9T381hF7Dxsw/s1600-h/Picture+090.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUgJoENsuuQKlVyoBS_ozIKo5LlrJQY5MdHuFtFVlTuHSQcg1jdRxoQriCZGAbXK5iNj-dJVR-nPzZs70R7TnryLFLRGEoa-OtWpa_1C96OKehNIRHLumCLmWhErRyH_f9T381hF7Dxsw/s320/Picture+090.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5100858750255695186" /></a><br />You know what? The funny thing is that I completely forgot to bring them with me to the dinner. I only realized this as I was pulling up to the house. *sigh*The Epicurious Divahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18107582123193681801noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9185514590826547319.post-44664605314536092602007-08-17T13:38:00.000-04:002007-08-17T14:02:49.952-04:00My favourite fried riceThe golden rule for making fried rice is to use day old rice. This is so the rice is not mushy but instead dry and seperated. Sometimes we'll order Chinese food take out and it comes with 2 take out boxes full of rice. With so much white rice left over, there's only one thing to make!<br /><br />What I love about fried rice is that you can eat it at any time. You can have it for lunch, dinner, Winter, Summer, pretty much whenever you want. This is another one of my soul foods. Some people have their grilled cheese, I have my fried rice.<br /><br />Fried rice is as versatile as a sandwich. You can put anything in there and it will go (for the most part). Today's ingredients are my favourites when it comes to fried rice. Here they are:<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4jN4xpUxlGlMrP77ERuEA0_Pdvk-clgyjHlNKTAa3gg8rxqSdj847SULuP8i7H_me82eTRGLDAAw54Nzuk512Oxkj-tqCSbxGuVyGD8Ls9Sli2_zO7oGEq24ZmrExtF4-GwnBN-OF_WU/s1600-h/Picture+088.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4jN4xpUxlGlMrP77ERuEA0_Pdvk-clgyjHlNKTAa3gg8rxqSdj847SULuP8i7H_me82eTRGLDAAw54Nzuk512Oxkj-tqCSbxGuVyGD8Ls9Sli2_zO7oGEq24ZmrExtF4-GwnBN-OF_WU/s320/Picture+088.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5099727279776269602" /></a><br /><br /><strong><strong>Ingredients:</strong></strong><br />1 large bowl of day old white rice<br />2 tsp. of chicken broth<br />2 tsp. of soy sauce<br />1/4 cup of chopped red onions<br />1/4 cup of chopped green onions<br />1/4 pound of BBQ pork, chopped<br />1 egg<br />pepper to taste, again, I don't like to add salt because the soy sauce takes care of that<br /><strong><br />Directions:</strong><br />Scramble an egg, then cook it in a pan under low heat. Use your spatula to cut up the egg into strips (no need to be neat here) directly on the pan. <br />Add in red onions and half of your green onions to the pan to saute. <br />Add in BBQ pork.<br />Add rice. Make sure you seperate the rice with your fingers and do not leave clumps.<br />Add chicken broth and soy sauce.<br />Add pepper, and perhaps salt to taste.<br />Top rice with remaining green onions.<br />Enjoy!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZFnD24fWhOFFTW8qCMwR8ZRNf2LAVfKvMSQusqgShdSlW48rWm8wq5X7qaDMSNVXeGxtG9nzBFaqdouH1__GL3Cz1KVfSvsHMk4VVfpHgNzN3CXkvGCitnBDdKZYtjbBfjVDArjpysPw/s1600-h/Picture+089.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZFnD24fWhOFFTW8qCMwR8ZRNf2LAVfKvMSQusqgShdSlW48rWm8wq5X7qaDMSNVXeGxtG9nzBFaqdouH1__GL3Cz1KVfSvsHMk4VVfpHgNzN3CXkvGCitnBDdKZYtjbBfjVDArjpysPw/s320/Picture+089.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5099731368585135410" /></a>The Epicurious Divahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18107582123193681801noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9185514590826547319.post-66138380777000864532007-08-16T01:45:00.000-04:002007-08-16T02:07:50.407-04:00Pret a Manger<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxgWH03j0v66zmkdxM68M6LcuvZMX5T2edpk2fVpCFbcfkVS6IUzVm0qy3l_OOSnCp_ZApOnZmdKONR1Oijhq8RYckVax9_T9aIxgP62Nvl9Y4Kco2mNk2wJaVwZUf2Qhdq4omoNb-P1I/s1600-h/pret+a+manger.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxgWH03j0v66zmkdxM68M6LcuvZMX5T2edpk2fVpCFbcfkVS6IUzVm0qy3l_OOSnCp_ZApOnZmdKONR1Oijhq8RYckVax9_T9aIxgP62Nvl9Y4Kco2mNk2wJaVwZUf2Qhdq4omoNb-P1I/s320/pret+a+manger.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5099171425108821266" /></a><br /><br />While we're on the topic of London...<br /> There's a chain of cafe-like cafes called "Pret a Manger" which translates from French into "ready to eat." It's a place where you can grab n' go, or stay a while to enjoy the scenery (people watching to the max!). I would say that they appeal to the health concious yuppy, in a hurry to feed themselves so they can get on with making more money. I'm defintely in favour of their health concious ways even though I don't consider myself a yuppy by any means (that's a whole other battle).<br /><br />Pret a Manger is home to fresh squeezed orange juice (my favourite!), flavoured fruit teas, gourmet sandwiches, soups, wraps, yogourt, salads, muffins, just to name a few.<br />I tried to eat at Pret as many times as I could because I knew that I wouldn't be able to find anything as good here in Toronto (Sorry, Hogtown). My favourite item by far was the "Hoisin Duck Wrap." This was a tortilla wrapped with slivers of Chinese BBQ duck meat (skin on) doused with hoisin (a thick and sweet Chinese sauce), red onions, cucumbers, leaf spinach. There was some mayonaise on it as well, but I wasn't such a fan of that. This is because I consider mayonaise to be my antithesis. You know how kryptonite is to Superman? Well, that's what mayonaise is to me.<br /><br />Here is the link to this particular wrap: http://www.pret.com/menu/baguettes_wraps/1765.shtm<br /><br />I've been reading up on their food philosophies and I can't agree more! If there was a Pret in Canada, I would eat there everyday.<br /><br />For further knowledge on this wonderful establishment:<br />http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pret_a_Manger<br />http://www.pret.com/our_food/eat_with_your_head/The Epicurious Divahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18107582123193681801noreply@blogger.com53tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9185514590826547319.post-35524758991729132302007-08-16T00:08:00.000-04:002007-08-16T01:45:08.399-04:00British food: Yay or Nay?<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9aCW2nkuQCIzNvthaBiWP8iHDPTWU7EP2IZOrxZ4hmuanixvKCcXUm6e_d6X0aHW0s_L80apZ1AuUd0OImVSm6bOKlfJyj29RHndoq2ez0-iVCc2yle61OjbcvXT1idQ4dHs8F2SNao8/s1600-h/london-food.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9aCW2nkuQCIzNvthaBiWP8iHDPTWU7EP2IZOrxZ4hmuanixvKCcXUm6e_d6X0aHW0s_L80apZ1AuUd0OImVSm6bOKlfJyj29RHndoq2ez0-iVCc2yle61OjbcvXT1idQ4dHs8F2SNao8/s320/london-food.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5099146149226284290" /></a><br /><br />This is a picture taken at an Irish pub when I was in London last summer (July '06). All I've ever heard about British food was that it was bland and rather boring. Just how boring could it be? I had to give it a try to find out for myself. <br /><br />In the picture, we've got steak and kidney pie to the left, Guiness beef stew in the far back, and good ol' fish n' chips to the right. Oh, and you can't forget the Mexican beer (Corona)!<br /><br /><strong>The verdict:</strong> It tastes like how it looks. There are certainly no surprises here. I suppose it is decent and certainly edible, but I'd choose me some bibimbap or a hamburger any day. I just find British food to be rather heavy and fattening. If I were a full-time vegetarian, it would be hard to find something in a pub. I guess British food isn't really for the health concious. Goodness, they serve so much meat, even in the morning! So many things are made out of lard, but I have to admit, lard makes things taste so much better.<br /><br />I think my favourite thing to eat in England are the pastries. I love the flaky dough of the Cornish pasties and sausage rolls. Pastries to England are like hotdogs to Toronto. The first thing I ate when I stepped off the plane was a Cornish pasty filled with something so good that I can't remember. If I lived in London, I would probably live off these things. So filling and cheap! I would probably also resemble Bridget Jones in the weight department too.<br /><br /><br /><strong>What are your thoughts on British food?</strong><br /><br /><strong>Did you know?:</strong><br /><br /><strong>In 1762, the sandwich was invented in England.</strong><br />There is a town named Sandwich in the south of England. John Montagu, the Earl of Sandwich invented a small meal that could be eaten with one hand while he continued his nonstop gambling.The Epicurious Divahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18107582123193681801noreply@blogger.com2