Sometimes...

... this is dinner.

*** Tofurkey Italian Style Sausages and Annie's Mac 'n' Cheese

Cafe Postal

He Ho! Did anyone go to Festival du Voyageur last week? I wasn't able to make it but I've heard that awesome times were had! Especially with a ice shot glass filled with whiskey and wine? Sounds interesting...

M. and I were close to the Festival actually when we were running errands around St. Boniface and we stumbled upon a really neat cafe that had a cafe mocha that reminded me of my time in Iceland. When I went to Iceland a few years ago, M. and I would almost order a Swiss Mocha every day which was decadent and the cafe mocha from Cafe Postal was just as creamy and chocolatey with a good punch of espresso. 

I am a sucker for a local coffee house that have freshly roasted beans, a bilingual menu with a laid back and warm woods-y vibe indoors. Very similar to Thom Bargen located on Sherbrook. But, if you are in a hurry then you might not want to come visit Cafe Postal on the way to work. They are very precise and carefully prepare every cup of coffee because they take their time to make the perfect cup.  Check out that design in the above picture! The barista measured the amount of freshly ground coffee (he grinds the beans to order) three times to make sure it was the right amount for M. and my order! Now that's specificity! But, trust me, it's worth the wait. So next time you are in the St. Boniface area, I would highly recommend that you skip the Starbucks run and make your way to this cozy cafe. For more information click here and here.

Contrast that with a picture of the Swiss Mocha that was enjoyed in Iceland. Pretty comparable.

The Ultimate Chewy Cookie

That is the title of a chocolate chip recipe that I found in my In Style Februrary, 2014 magazine. It also had a recipe for the ultimate crispy cookie and cakey cookie. A little confident, eh?

For our housewarming, I decided to try the chewy cookie recipe because I was intrigued by these ingredients besides the promised texture: maldon salt and pecans. Loved the idea of having sweet and salty cookies. And, the bonus was that I was able to use my stand mixer! Any excuse to use it, makes me a happy girl.

 Cookies raw sprinkled with salt:

Final product:

They had a good texture with the crunch of the pecans, the sweetness from the chocolate chips and the kick of salt right at the end which brought all the flavours together beautifully. I made 45 cookies in total from making a double batch (I made the cookies bigger than suggested) and they were a hit at the party. Friends were even asking if there were anymore to munch on. Was it the ultimate chewy cookie? Not really. You definitely could not bake them over the suggested time even if they still look raw, but, the cookies were harder than what we wanted. Overall, it's a good recipe. 

The Ultimate Chewy Cookie

In Style Magazine, February 2014

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp of table salt
• 3/4 tsp of baking soda
• 1 cup of unsalted butter at room temperature
• 1 cup of sugar
• 2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract (I put 3 because I love vanilla!)
• 2 large eggs
• 2 cups of chocolate chips or chunks (I put only 1 1/2 cups of chocolate chips- feels a little too heavy with the extra 1/2 cup of chocolate)
• 1 cup of finely chopped pecans or walnuts
• sea slat flakes (Maldon brand) for sprinkling on top

Directions:

• centre one of the racks in the oven
• preheat oven to 375 degrees (not convention)
• line two baking sheets with parchment or silicone mats
• whisk together flour, salt, baking soda
• working with a stand mixer (with paddle attachment) or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat butter and sugars on medium speed for 3 mins until well blended
• beat in vanilla
• add eggs one at a time, beating for 1 minute after each addition
• reduce mixer speed to low; add dry ingredients in three portions, mixing only until each additional is incorporated 
• on low speed (or by hand which I did) mix in chocolates and nuts
• spoon dough in slightly rounded tablespoonfuls onto baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches between each and sprinkle with sea salt.
• bake cookies- rotating sheets and switching the position from top to bottom at the midway point- for a total of 10 to 12 minutes or until they are brown at the edges and golden in the centre
• they may still be a little soft in the middle, and that's fine
• allow cookies to rest for 1 minute and then transfer the cookies to racks to cool

Triple B Impulse Purchase

M. and I went to Bed, Bath and Beyond this week to register for our wedding, and we noticed this little beauty from  the corner of our eye.

I was just complaining a couple weeks ago how I wish we could get smaller containers to store salad dressings, nuts, sauces for lunches but are also spill proof! We went to Dollarama a couple times because you were able to purchase the sizes that you wanted individually without having to buy a full kit that you are sometimes forced to if you were to go to Superstore let's say. But, they weren't spill proof.

Well, for $14.99 and with a twist, all containers are stackable which is perfect (especially if you travel with a large bag everyday where things get lost easily, which I do) so we thought it would be worth a try.

So far so good! No disappointed foodies (locavores?) here! We've used this BPA free product throughout the week and i've stacked some jam, peanut butter, blackberries, salad dressing, pecans and yogurt. No accidents! 

You can either go here or go to Bed, Bath and Beyond to buy it since it's not available for purchase online. 

More Wine with that Housewarming?

M. and I invited friends and family over last weekend to celebrate our new home.

We were spoiled with our good friends and families overwhelming support. Also, everyone knows how much I love cards...

and house plants and flowers... 

Did I mention the wine?

Some of the bottles were already recycled. This is a picture of what was left over. he he he

My friend K. made us a 'Welcome' basket filled with tons of goodies! 

It included a soy candle, chocolates, home baked goods, granola and dishcloths and dish towels.

But what is a housewarming without some food...

Homemade pizza (yup, i'm obsessed!) with mozzarella, cheddar, feta and spinach.

Through all the entertaining, I wasn't able to get a shot of when all the food first came out but you get the idea. some buns, candies, bruschetta, madeleines that I made, fruit, brownies and some veggies.

  

And you know me! Any excuse to try a new recipe. After perusing through some old Bon Appetit magazines, I found a chewy chocolate chip recipe that looked interesting since there was a twist. Maldon salt! They weren't chewy but they sure were tasty! And there weren't any left overs...

Speaking of cookies! Last but not least, here is a mixture of baked goods that also made it to the party that was brought by friends. Some oatmeal and raisin cookies, chocolate chip cookies and lemon sugar cookies which melted in your mouth.

Before I sign off, I haven't shared with you M.'s favourite present that we received from one of his co-workers. It's a present that I highly recommend giving to someone at their housewarming...

After all, owning a fire extinguisher makes sense. It's just something no one thinks of buying. 

French Gem Found in the North End

A week ago, a co-worker brought in beautiful and delicate french pastries called macaroons for a birthday at work. I've had macaroons before and i've seen them in several bakeries throughout the city but I have never had a macaroon from a trained French baker from France before and they were delectable. I wanted more and at $1.30 each I went and bought a dozen because that is CHEAP! 

It was at A l'Epi de Ble where I picked up these treasures the very next day. 

They had so many beautiful, elegant and really, they were mini pieces of art in a form of a pastry to choose from. I was on a mission to only get some macaroons for that day but I will definitely return to indulge in some croissants, cakes and tarts. 

My favourites were the pink one that I am holding which is raspberry and the praline which is the spotted white one. They even had a matcha flavour! They were all incredible and I need to try and make my own. I have the tools and a recipe so what is stopping me? Oh. Right. Confidence.

For more information about this bakery, click here. They also have a little eat in area that you can taste a variety of coffees. Perhaps when you bite into an almond croissant or a macaroon while having a cafe au lait, you will close your eyes and feel like you are in France. At least for a couple seconds. I highly recommend visiting this little gem that is found in the North End of the city.

Chili For This Chili Weather

Is this cold spell ever going to end?

How much longer do we need to endure this?

Well, we might as well eat some comforting foods to helps us get through this and keep us warm...

Chili a la Stephanie

A mixture of lentils, chick peas and kidney beans. This was more of a bean chili versus a bean and veggie chili. It really hit the spot especially when it's -36 with windchill but next time i'll add in some  roasted red peppers and corn!

And a little gouda cheese to top it all off. This chili was very hearty and this serving filled me up until the next morning. This recipe is a winner!

Chili a la Stephanie

Ingredients:

• 1 can of chickpeas (19 oz)
• 1 can of red kidney beans (19 oz)
• 1 can of lentils (19 oz)
• 1 package of veggie ground round 
• 1 can of diced tomatoes (we blended ours up) (28 oz)
• 1 can of tomato paste (5.5 oz)
• 1 tsp of minced garlic
• 2 tsp of chili powder (if you want more of a kick add 1/2 tsp of red pepper flakes)
• 2 tsp of onion powder
• 2 tsp of cumin
• 1 tsp of celery salt
• 1 tsp of ground pepper
• pinch of salt to taste

Directions:

• You will need a deep pan or soup pot to make this dish. 
• Rinse all the beans and add them along with the tomato paste, diced tomatoes (not blended is fine)  and veggie ground round into your pot on medium high heat.
• Add all the spices.
• Once all the ingredients are together and your pot starts to boil, reduce the heat so that the chili simmers and leave your pot half covered. You want most of the liquid to evaporate.
• Let it simmer for 45 mins to an hour to really let the beans absorb the spices. Make sure to mix the chili once in awhile! Wouldn't want anything to burn at the bottom of the pot. 
• The longer you let the pot simmer the more flavourful the chili will be. By the end, the chili should be quite thick.
• Add some cheese and serve!

Teaser for the next post...

Mamma Mia! PIZZA!

I gave you a sneak peak in the last post of a pizza that I made from scratch. For most home cooks, this is an easy recipe and already incorporated in their weekly routine. Based on that, you must be wondering why I am so jazzed about making pizza from scratch when really, there is no trick to it. Well, you need initiative and sometimes a little push to get there.

Well... this certainly helped!

We received this bread maker as a house warming present! Said friends even shared their home made pizza dough recipe that works well with the 'dough' setting on this baby. After receiving these generous gifts, I shopped for ingredients the next day and M. and I were all set to make home made pizza for the first time in our new home.

Results of the first time I made it using the bread maker. Recipe to follow.

M. working hard rolling the day out.

We decided to make roasted red pepper, spinach and fried seitan. We sauteed the red pepper and used fresh spinach but for the seitan, you can use the recipe found here. I also used a canned pizza sauce. I know! I know! I need to make my own.

All the ingredients on the pizza now!

Finished product! The crust was fantastic and soft since we opted for a thicker crust. It is now officially pizza night on Saturday nights in our house hold! 

Pizza Dough a la Bread Maker

Beer 1- 1/4 cup

Shortening 1 tbsp

Sugar 1 tbsp

Salt 1 tsp

White flour 2-2/3 cups

Yeast 1-1/4 tsp

*Add 1 tsp basil or oregano for a spicier crust

-Dump all ingredients into baking pan.

-When cycle is complete, remove dough from machine to a lightly floured surface. If necessary, knead in enough flour to make dough easy to handle.

-Grease pans- (two 12 inch, one 14 inch, or one 15x10 inch --- *we just use a large cookie sheet*). Roll out dough and place on pan or pat in pan.

-Top each pizza with whatever you want. Bake at 425 F for 15 to 25 minutes or until done. Pizza is done when edges are golden and cheese is bubbly.

Makes 1 large or 2 medium pizzas.

*If no beer is handy, water can be substituted.
** You can also use this recipe without a bread maker. You would need to mix all the ingredients together but only use 1 cup of beer or water and then beat until the dough is stiff in a large bowl. Cover the bowl with saran wrap and let it sit for 30-45 mins. It will double in size. Proceed by moving the dough to a lightly floured surface as per above and follow the rest of the instructions.