It Happens to the Best of US!

One of my favorite things to do is gather a few friends together and check out restaurants we’ve never been to. I like to sample the menu, order a few of their signature drinks and take in the ambiance.

But every once in awhile I go back to those places that left their mark on me in such a positive way. La Cantina is one of those restaurants; and one of the main reasons I go there is for their chocolate martinis. For years I’ve frequented this establishment, and it’s just known among my friends that chocolate martinis are on my menu for the evening…along with their flavourful menu choices.Last Saturday night I gathered a few of my friends and we headed back to La Cantina. I could almost taste those chocolate martinis, and of course it was the first drink I ordered when we arrived.

There I sat at the bar waiting for our table, sipping on this delightful concoction…only to pull something hard and crunchy from my mouth. I looked at it, but it didn’t register what it was. But when I pulled another out of my mouth and laid it next to the first, it dawned on me. These are legs! Legs of a very big spider or worse! My girlfriend took the drink from me, which by the way was almost consumed except for the chocolate shavings at the bottom on the glass. She refused to let me look into my glass and took it directly to the bar to complain.

Yes, I had the shakes…and I thought I was going to be sick. The fact that I never actually got to see what was in the glass was a blessing and I’ll always be thankful to my friend. But my imagination was still in overdrive.

The manager came over right away and was very apologetic. I ordered quite a few shots of Tequila, making sure I could see through the glass (a little humour) and after a time, even ate some food. Regardless of what happened to me, I thought about what was happening to them…the restaurant. There are always a flipside to every coin. The ocassional “spider” is going to make it’s way into an eating establishment every once in awhile, and some unfortunate customer is going to have to experience finding it. I felt that La Cantina handled the situation professionally and handled me with kid gloves.

Needless to say, the food and drinks were on the house, and despite my harrowing experience, it was the experience of La Cantina’s professionalism and of course their great food that will have me going back again. I don’t think I’ll necessarily order the chocolate martini…and it breaks my heart…but La Cantina is still good in my books.

Time To Get Serious About Our Picky Eaters

My daughter just turned five years, and the year or so has been quite the struggle to get my daughter to try new foods. She goes through phases where one particular food item means more to her than all else, and then a week later she's onto something else. If anyone else struggles like this...having to sit there and feed your child...using bribery and promises of an extra half hour of t.v. before bed.

It's not that she doesn't like my cooking...ha ha ha. But she always plays it safe when it comes to flavours. I rely heavily on yogurt smoothies and supplements (two things I know she'll eat). But I am vigilant in finding a better solution. I am passionate about children getting all their daily required nutrients to grow and think. We live in a country where this is possible...and to have this picky eater on my hands, when I love food so much...it's just not acceptable.

I'm working on a book of new recipes I intend to try out on my daughter. She will have final say. And then I will share them with you.

Happy Cooking

Cherishing This Christmas

What an incredible time this Christmas holiday is, especially for me because I have the people I love around me, creating new wonderful memories...and of course incredible food.

Christmas morning was all about the children running to the tree, excitement on their faces...pure joy for all things material...lol. Of course we as parents do our best to help our children understand that Christmas is not about the material, yet we continue to fork out the bucks to get that particular doll that seems to be all the rage this week, just because our child(ren) want it and because we want to make them happy.

And the food...

I started out the day with a mid-morning brunch of honey-maple ham steaks, omega eggs over-easy, sliced tomatoes with pepper and croissants. Lest we forget...the amazing Bavarian coffee I brewed fresh and the fruit-yogurt smoothies.

It truly was hard to believe that only a mere six hours later we would again be sitting down to the likes of sweet scalloped potatoes baked in a cream/butter sauce with savoury sweet spices, roasted baby potatoes in a garlic/rosemary olive oil coating; toasted brown and almost crunchy in texture; steamed assorted veggies in a pepper/butter sauce; stuffing made from scratch with sauted onions and celery along with pleasing to the taste-buds herbs and seasonings; the turkey...a young, fresh turkey, basted with butter and mesquite seasonings...roasted on the BBQ. The meat literally fell off the bones. And let's not forget the most substantial portion of the meal...the salad. I find when we eat the leafy green salad last, it helps to digest all that wonderfully horrible food we consumed in record time. All that wine and beer...egg nog and rum.

We ended with hot apple crumble pie and double churned french vanilla ice cream, and of course coffee.

And so the kids are all scattered through the house, playing with this toy and that toy. I'm holed up in my office, hot coffee beside me and I just felt the desire to share my wonderful Christmas with you.

I love this time of year...families come together from near and far...a time for reflection of what was and what is...what can be...all the possibilities...all the accomplishments...the hardships and the rewards. Truly appreciating what you have in your life and unconditionally loving those people you hold closest and dearest to your heart. Hold onto these moments...they may not come again.

Merry Christmas! And happy cooking.

Turkey Time Again!

Yes, it’s turkey time again, boys and girls! And if you’re like my family, you’ll be eating turkey for up to a week afterwards…open-faced turkey sandwiches with gravy, turkey salad sandwiches, soup with vegetables and turkey…the list is endless. So, the best way to start out your week-long turkey venture, it to make sure you have a tasty turkey to begin with.

· 1 x 12 lb. young turkey
· 8 oz diced pancetta
· 8 large shallots, sliced lengthwise
· 2 tbsp butter
· sprigs of thyme, whole and chopped
· sprigs of sage, whole and chopped
· sprigs of rosemary, whole and chopped
· Coarse salt and freshly cracked black pepper
· Butter, for rubbing the outside of turkey

Gravy
· 1 cup dry white wine
· 1 shallot finely chopped
· 3-4 tbsp flour
· 3-4 tbsp butter
· Juices of turkey

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Add pancetta to medium sauté pan over medium heat. Sauté until fat begins to render, about 4 minutes. Remove pancetta and reserve. To the same pan over medium heat, add butter, shallots and chopped herbs. Sauté shallots until slightly browned. Season with freshly ground pepper. Combine shallots with pancetta. Let cool to room temperature.

Remove giblets and turkey neck from turkey cavity. For additional flavour to pan drippings roast turkey neck in roasting pan with turkey. Remove any pockets of fat from bird cavity. Thoroughly rinse with cold water. Pat turkey dry with paper towel.

Carefully run your hands or a spoon gently between skin and meat of the turkey breast and legs to separate skin from meat. Gently slide about ½ of the shallot mixture and some fresh chopped herbs between skin and meat of the breast and legs. Rub bird with butter and season with salt and pepper. Fill bird cavity with remaining shallot mixture and whole sprigs of herbs. Truss legs together with butcher’s twine to maintain shape while roasting.

Roast the turkey, breast side up, in a large roasting pan on the lower portion of oven at 350˚F. for first 30 minutes then reduce heat to 325˚F. Continue to roast, basting often, until thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh reads 180˚F. approximately 2 to 2 ½ hours. Remove remaining shallot mixture from cavity of turkey and place in roasting pan.

Transfer turkey to serving platter. Cover loosely with foil and keep warm and let rest 15 to 20 minutes before serving. Garnish platter with fresh sprigs of herbs if desired. Make gravy while turkey is resting.

Place roasting pan with pan drippings and shallot mixture over medium heat on stovetop. Add white wine. Scrape pan dripping on the bottom of the pan to incorporate into wine. Bring to a boil and simmer until reduced slightly, about 10 minutes. Stir roux (part butter, part flour) and pour into roasting pan. Whisk briskly over medium heat until bubbling and slightly thickened, about 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat and serve gravy with turkey.

Experiment!

Experiment with your ingredients.

We live in a very 'safe' way of thinking kind of world. We're so afraid to think outside of what we're used to. Same goes for food. We tend to stick to what we know will be good because we've tried it all before. So how about experimenting with your food?

I've put something together that has my audience's tongues wagging in delight.

My gourmet chicken wraps are a combination of grilled chicken, feta stuffed hot peppers, hot mustard, tomatoes, avocado, red pepper, spanish onions and fontina cheese. You are more than welcome to mix it up and replace with what you think will mesh together. I often do. Slam those flavours together!

And do what I just did this past weekend, unleash your experiments on family and friends. If it's horrible, you know they'll tell you the truth. But if they love it, they'll be begging for more.

Grilled Vegetables & Goat Cheese Burgers

Grilled Vegetable & Goat Cheese Burgers

Yields 12 Servings

I tried this recipe the other night and I am in love with it! It’s just as tasty warm or cold. If anyone else gives this recipe a go, let me know how it turned out.

Ingredients:

1/2 lb zucchini, cut into 1-inch width slices
1/2 lb yellow squash, cut into 1-inch width slices
1 red onion, cut into 1-inch chunks
1/4 lb red peppers, cut into 1 ½ -inch squares, and cut diagonally into triangles
1/4 lb yellow peppers, cut into 1 ½ -inch squares, and cut diagonally into triangles
Olive oil
14 x bamboo skewers, soaked in water for 1 hour

Dressing

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tsp fresh thyme
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 cup crumbled chèvre

Preheat grill or barbecue to medium. In a shallow dish, toss vegetables with enough olive oil to coat (2-3 tablespoons). Thread vegetables onto soaked skewers. Grill over medium heat until slightly charred and tender, turning occasionally, approximately 8-10 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together vinegar, thyme, salt and pepper. Slowly drizzle in olive oil. Drizzle warm vegetables with dressing and top with chèvre.

Enjoy!

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Gourmet Your Way is Changing It Up

Gourmet Your Way is ending the 'rubber chicken' phenomenon happening out there in the corporate catering industry.

We call it a phenomenon because so many people complain about the taste and quality of food they're being served at their corporate meetings or functions, and yet refuse to make that bold step in changing it up. Your menu choices are half the battle; willing to take a risk in trying something new can be daunting,
But Exciting!

Do your research. A quality caterer considers quality of produce, vast and diverse menu offerings, health factors, allergies, cost, presentation and of course...taste. Don't be afraid to step out of the 'rubber chicken' box.

Gourmet Your Way...the name speaks for itself; we cater to your needs, and there are very important needs. We understand that a business function requires focus and energy, so we focus less on starchy foods and more on lighter, healthier meals that keep your team going to that final hour. We give you and your team an enjoyable lunch hour filled with pleasure in taste.

Gourmet Your Way...coming to a catering event near you.