Deviled Eggs with Pickles January 30, 2009

Quick and easy: deviled eggs with pickles. You’ll need: eggs, olive oil, paprika, salt, pepper, basil, mustard, parsley, pickles.

Instructions:

1. Boil eggs (boil them well, then put them under cold water for a couple of minutes).
2. Remove shell, cut in half and scoop the yolk out.
3. Mash all yolks with a fork, then add 1 tsp olive oil and 1 tsp mustard. Mix well
4. Add paprika, salt, pepper, basil, parsley and pickles cut as thinly as possible.
5. With a teaspoon, put the mixture back into the whites. Serve cold.

Yams and carrots soup January 27, 2009

This soup is so easy to make, it would be a shame not to try it. You’ll need: 2-3 yams, 2-3 carrots, 1/2 celery root, 1 onion, 2-3 garlic cloves, 1/2 cup milk, oil, salt, pepper, curry. Optional, you could throw in other root veggies.

Instructions:

1. First, peel and cut into cubes all the root veggies.
2. Finely cut onion and fry it in a bit of oil. Do it in the pot where you’ll cook the soup, so make sure it’s big enough. Add garlic cloves.
3. Once the onion turned translucent, pour 2-3 cups of water and add all the root veggies.
4. When the veggies are soft, add salt and pepper. Mash the veggies (I do it by hand, but if you have a food processor, that works too).
5. Add the curry and the 1/2 cup milk and stir. Let boil for 5 more minutes, remove and serve hot.

Apple Pastry January 26, 2009

Easy and delicious dessert with apples and puff pastry. You’ll need: 4-5 apples, 1 puff pastry box (with 2 pastry sheets inside), 1 egg, cinnamon, raisins, walnuts, 1 tsp vanilla sugar.

Instructions:

1. Peel and grate the apples. You’ll need to really squeeze the juice out of them, otherwise the pastry will get too moist.
2. Add 1 tsp vanilla sugar, 1-2 tsp cinnamon, walnuts and raisins. If you have some rum or liquor in the house, soak the raisins for 2-3 minutes in it. Mix thoroughly.
3. Spread one puff pastry sheet on your baking pan, then spread the apple mixture evenly. Cover with the remaining puff pastry.
4. Beat one egg, and brush it over the pastry.
5. Put in the oven for some 30 minutes (350F) or until the crust is golden and crunchy.

Chicken Rolls with Red Onion, Balsamic Vinegar and Thyme January 23, 2009

A recipe I got from Lucullian delights. Tried it yesterday, using boneless chicken thighs. It is quite easy to make,  and you don’t need too many ingredients: 1 red onion, oil and balsamic vinegar, and thyme. A very nice taste (a bit sweet from the onion, with a nice thyme flavor) – quite a good alternative if you are bored with your usual way of cooking chicken.

Beans with Pork Meat and Sausage January 21, 2009

I should probably say right from the start that I do not like beans. I’ve never tasted any beans that I could say I like. Yet, I cooked some the other day. They turned out quite OK (but I still don’t like beans…). I got a bag of dry mix beans from Lina’s Market and the first thing I needed to do was to soak them.

Soaking: Put the beans in a large pot and cover them with water (have water level some 3-4 fingers above the beans). Bring to a quick boil, then cover the pot and leave overnight in the fridge.

Ingredients: Use some 400 gr dry beans, 1 onion, 300 gr pork cut into cubes, 200 gr sausage, 2-3 tbsp tomato sauce, 2-3 bay leaves, 2 cups of cooking wine, salt, pepper, marjoram, paprika.

Instructions:

1. Drain water from pot and replace with same quantity of water, together with one glass of wine. Bring to a slow boil, removing the foam. Keep boiling until the level of the liquid starts decreasing.
2. Finely cut 1 onion and fry gently with a bit of oil in a pan. When onion is translucent, add the pork cubes and the sausage (cut into small slices). Add a bit of wine, salt and pepper, and marjoram. Fry for 5 – 7 minutes, or until sausage is done.
3. Put everything into the pot with the beans, and let boil. Add the bay leaves and the tomato sauce.
4. The cooking time ranges between 2-4 hours, depending on how well your beans were soaked. Add salt, pepper and paprika towards the end.

Tips: I read that you should add tomato sauce and salt really towards the end, to avoid beans giving you gases. Don’t know how true it is though. I’ve also read that you should always throw away the water in which the beans were soaked, again to avoid the gases.

Easy Risotto January 19, 2009

I had to cook something really quick last night: risotto always does the trick. It works with any type of rice, but I used the plain white one.

Ingredients:1 onion, oil, 1 cup of rice, 1/2 cup frozen peas & carrots, 2 sundried tomatoes, 1/4 cup white wine (cooking wine), 1 maggie cube, salt, pepper, basil. Optional: you can add some grated cheese (parmegiano works best, but substitute with anything else you have in the fridge).

Instructions:

1. Finely cut onion and fry it in a pot with just a bit of olive oil.  Put the 2 sundried tomatoes in a small cup and cover them with hot water for 10 minutes.
2. Add rice and frozen peas and carrots, and stir for 1 minute.
3. Pour wine.  Stir for 2-3 minutes.
4. Add some 2 and 1/2 cups of water. Add 1 maggie cube (or a bit of vegeta), salt and pepper. Cover and let boil for some 20 minutes or until the water has been absorbed and the rice is cooked.
5. Add basil. If rice is not tender, add some 1/2 cup water and let it absorb. My advice is to keep on stiring at this point, cause rice tends to stick on the bottom of the pan.

Artisan Bistro: Brunch Under $50 January 19, 2009

Artisan Bistro is located in Bridgeland, 809- 1st Ave NE. As my friend says, the beauty of it is that you do not have to wait in line for brunch, as you can make a reservation. Two can have brunch for under $50 and the place boasts they use only free run eggs. The place is what I like in a bistro: clean and spacious, with white tablecloth, clean cutlery and cups. A (real) rose on each table gave the place a nice touch today.

We had a La Flamenca egg dish (scrambled eggs  and toast) and a Hueves Revueltos (scrambled eggs with mushrooms and toast). The desserts looked absolutely delicious, and our friends always recommend the french toast with strawberries and whipped cream. The two egg dishes plus an orange juice and a moccacino were around $38.

Be advised that this is the brunch menu. You can choose between egg dishes, very few salads, panakes and waffles, and some sandwiches.

European Food Stores in Calgary January 15, 2009

Here’s a list of those small, family-owned European food stores that I know of in Calgary. Let me know if I’ve missed your favorite!

• Kalamata Grocery Store (in the vicinity of 17Ave SW, 1421 11 Street SW). The place to go for veggie spreads, canned vegetables and fruits, sweets, flat breads, olives and above all white cheese… (Already blogged about the pickles, taramasalata and veggie spreads)
• Matrioshka Pizza and Deli (at the intersection between of 17 Ave SW and 14 St SW, 1610 14 Street SW). A tiny store, mostly with canned products imported from Russia. I was very surprised to see that they sell over the counter medicine brought from Russia (wonder if it’s legal?). Some frozen cooked foods and various smoked/salted fish.
• Maria’s Market (you’ll need to drive over there, #42, 2770-32 Avenue NE). A good selection of home-cooked appetizers, main dishes and desserts. Canned veggies and fruits, and a good selection of meats. Look for those home-made, just-out-of-the-oven breads and main dishes!
• Lina’s Italian Market (conveniently located on Center Street, 2202 Centre St NE). Lots of pasta, pasta sauces, yummy cheese of all kinds, and desserts. There’s a small restaurant on site open for lunch. (Already blogged about the cheese…)
• The Italian Supermarket (by Edmonton Trail NW, 265 20th Avenue NE). Pasta, sauces, olive oil, olives… Some frozen meats as well. The selection of cheese was not as varied (didn”t see too many types of white cheese).
• Francesco’s Italian Food Store (close to 17th Ave SW, 3413- 26 Ave SW, Calgary). A good selection of pasta, tomato sauce, cheese, deli. For lunch, try the sandwiches!
• Jan’s Meat and Deli (right by Crowchild Trail NW, so you’ll need to drive there: 2436 – 2 Ave NW). Haven’t been there yet, so I cannot say much… Stay tuned though…
• Euro Pastry (again, you’ll need a ride there, as it’s close to the intersection between Deerfoot Trail and Pegan Trail – 4016 – 26 Street S.E. If you go to the Calgary Farmers’ Market, you might find them there too). Lots and lots of pastries and desserts…
  
• Hungarian Store (right next to the Euro Pastry, 4020 26th St. S.E.). You’ll find a similar range of foods as in Kalamata and Maria’s Market. But worth the trip for the smoked meats…
• Edelweiss Village (a car is needed, as for almost all of these stores – hidden behind Crowchild Trail NW, in the proximity of the University of Calgary, 1921-20th. Ave. N.W.). A good selection of coffee and tea, some cheese and meats, and a very yummy collection of desserts. There’s also a small restaurant, open all day and worth checking out!
• Heritage Bakery and Deli (on the corner of 17th Ave SW and 37th Street, 1912 37th St. S.W.). A fair selection of sausages and meats, canned fruits and veggies, pickles. A small restaurant inside for lunch.
• Paolini’s Meat and Deli (in SE, 5735-3rd Street, SE, you will need to drive and check for directions beforehand, as it is not by the main road). Canned foods from Eastern Europe and Germany, a selection of meats, sausages, cheese, as well as some frozen home-cooked foods (like soup for around $4). A neat little store, but the shop-assistant didn’t know where the fresh meat is coming from.
• The Dutch Cash and Carry Store (3815 – 16th Street SE, very far away and very hard to find since the shop is small and hidden away in an industrial area). A selection of canned foods all imported from the Netherlands, some smoked fish, a wide range of cheese. However, the shop smelled badly when I visited, so unless you’re a huge fan of Dutch products, I wouldn’t go there twice.
• Links Deli at Crossroads Market (1235 – 26 Avenue SE, you’ll definitely need to drive over there) specializes in Hungarian products – everything from cooked food to pickles, sauces, paprika, and a fair selection of cold cuts and sausages.
• European Delicatessen (8409 Elbow Dr SW, in Haysboro – you’ll definitely need to drive there). Another food store with a German specific – wonderful home-made deserts and jams (around $6/ jar), a wide selection of deli meats and cheese, European-made sweets, mustards, pickles, wieners, sardines, veggie spreads etc.

Berry Cobbler January 13, 2009

This delicious recipe for a berry cobbler came on the inside of a pan box. I made it today – and I have to hurry up with this post cause the dessert is waiting for me to eat it…

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter or margarine
• 2 cups white flour
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 cups milk
• 2 and 1/2 cups berries (anything goes, really. I used one of those boxes of frozen raspberries from Superstore and some blackberries I had in the freezer)
• baking soda
• optional: cinnamon

1. Pre-heat oven at 350F.
2. Pour softened butter/ margarine in the pan (being in a hurry, I just put the butter in the pan, and then put the pan in the oven while it is heating up. Remove when melted).
3. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, the sugar and the milk. Add some 1 tsp of baking soda dissolved in a few drops of lemon juice. Pour everything in the pan, over the melted butter.  Sprinkle with cinnamon (optional. I usually keep cinnamon sticks in the sugar jar, so the sugar is always imbued with cinnamon essence)
4. Add the berries and leave in the oven for 30-45 minutes.

Lunch in Calgary under $50 January 13, 2009

As part of this year’s resolutions, I decided to check out a new restaurant each month. City Palate ran a feature about great places to dine for under $50. Following their advice, we tried Casa Latina on 17th Ave SE (in the industrial part of the international avenue). Now, everyone has their own criteria for good food, cleanliness and good atmosphere, so I’ll try to be specific:

- The place: nice, but do not expect anything fancy. Some 10 tables, lots of plastic. From our table, I could see right into the kitchen, which wasn’t that nice. I liked the bright colored walls and the latino-type decorations.

- The food: my companion ordered the Tipical 2 – a charbroiled steak with beans, salsa, white cheese and something else. This was a really good choice, at around $15. The steak was absolutely delicious. On my part, I ordered one of the fish dishes, at around $17. This proved to be a very uninspired choice: it’s true, I got a whole tilapia. But everything on my plate (with the exception of a handful of salad) was deep-fried. Very deep-fried. So deep-fried, that I couldn’t taste anything – I could only crunch the food…

We paid around $38 (without tip) for the two main courses and two Cokes (as a plus, they do have cans, which I prefer over the tap). If you ask me, it is expensive. I’d say places like this (for me, these are  ‘bistros’ rather than ‘restaurants’) should never cost more than $25 for a simple lunch like ours. But this is Calgary…