New Years Eve Dinner

I decided that i didn't want to go out for new years this year, so instead of rushing about i spent the evening at home with my cat watching film noir and drinking a lovely Amarone! Of course i needed to have something to eat, and i was contemplating just eating cheese and bread that i bought at the Junction Fromagarie - but thought maybe i could make something a little different.

Pretty simple ingredients

I sauteed the mushrooms in butter and garlic, adding lemon juice and red wine vinegar to create a little sauce. I then toasted a couple of slices of the baguette and poached an egg. I put the warm mushrooms and sauce over the toasted baguette, then topped it with the poached egg. On the side i had a few slices of cheese, some more bread and olives.

Not a bad way to start 2011

Good Friday Dinner Part 3 - the sides

As i've already told you - Jarred and I really cheffed it up on Good Friday, and along with the burgers, fries, grilled veggies and Apricot tart i also made a caesar salad and a selection of dips (or for some burger toppings). I used to, many moons ago, work for a great caterer who always did an amazing bread and dip station that was so lovely and a total crowd pleaser. This was my inspiration for the dips. I made a guacamole, a bruschetta-esq topping, sauteed some finely diced mushrooms, onions and garlic and there was some hummus in the fridge

I had also gotten it into my head to make a caesar salad - of course it turned out that we didn't have a number of the usual ingredients - red wine vinegar, worschester sauce or anchovies - or a blender, so i had to do some improvising. I had always seen on cooking shows people making their salad dressings in mason jars and shaking them vigorously - i used to be a bartender so i used my skills from making martinis to blend the dressing. I also mixed white vinegar and balsamic to replae the red wine. I am the Macgiver of cooking!

I used the baguette that i purchased at Ma Maison, which was phenominal by the way, to make the crostini for the dips. The baguette was quite slender, so sliced them on the bias into small thin pieces. Unfortuantly, as i mentioned, the knives left something to be desired, so this was something of a challenge. Once cut, i lightly seasoned them and brushed them with olive oil and put them into the oven. They came out really well, and i will definitely be going back there to get more Baguettes.

And there is the final installment of the Good Friday Meal - told you it was epic!

Pasta for Joanna

I was recently talking to my friend Jo about the recipes that i make on my blog, and she mentioned that i never make pasta, and i guess this is true in many ways. I make noodles, which are very similar, but i don't make pasta all that much - at least since i've started blogging. I guess part of it was being a vegetarian for so long, often pasta is your only option at a restaurant and when you're a student its quick and cheap. I used to make pasta for eric all the time, but she's right i've been off pasta.

This saturday was so glorious in the city. I had a great run down to High Park, and once there i sat in the sun on a bench with my eyes closed, face turned to the sun. Not only did i have a great run, i also set off to do a bunch of home jobs that i really wanted to get at. By seven o'clock i had accomplished a lot, but my place looked like a bomb hit it and i hadn't eaten since one. I thought what better a night to have a nice rich and carby dinner - so here it is: My Pasta for Joanana.

Part of the reason i don't make pasta at home is because i LOVE rich pasta. The kind of things i want to put into pasta are not good for you, but since i had some cream left over from a soup recipe, Parmesan, mushrooms and petso i thought it was a sign. Of course i used whole wheat pasta to balance things out. Right at the end i added a little whole grain dijon - it sort of came to me at the last minute, since Jo and i had been talking about a recipe with mushrooms and a dijon cream.

Along with making the pasta, i took the opportunity to try these frozen whole wheat Ace Bakery demi-baguettes i had purchased a while ago. Baquettes are funny in that they really are only goo the day you buy them, and you have to be pretty organized if they are not on your regular shopping list. I thought this was a brilliant idea. They were actually really good. I liked the size - i ate half a demi-baguette and will use the other half for a sandwich. Recommended.


Above:

Carby delight (excuse my dirty fingernail - i had been renovating)
ACE Bakery frozen demi-baguettes
Ingredients
The Sauce (see why i can't eat this a lot)
Dinner is served!