Bites in Montreal

This weekend, my boy and I went to Montreal to celebrate. For dinner last night we went to Peel Pub (Rue Peel), a sports bar where they stock dozens of beers. They have the standard Poutine (fries with cheese curds and gravy), as well as salads, burgers and hot sandwiches. My boy had the BBQ Bacon Burger, and I had their awesome BLT on crusty bread.

Today, before visiting the Biodôme (check out the pic!), we stopped off at Moe's Bar & Grill (Rue Sherbrooke E) for breakfast. My boy got the No. 1 -- pancakes, eggs, and homefries. I got the standard 2 Egg breakfast with bacon and homefries. Both breakfasts came with toast and jam, and fresh fruit. I was so excited to see the fruit on my plate (slices of orange, cantaloupe, and kiwi)... Hehe. The service was good, the food was quick, and it definitely hit the spot!

Tasty Tabouli Bowl

I just came across this picture from the fall, and I remembered just how much I miss tabouli and fresh garden veggies. In this tabouli bowl, I started with a salad of fresh garden greens and parsley, then added lemony tabouli with tomatoes. I also added some chunks of feta and freshly picked radishes (from a friend's garden!). Just looking at this picture makes me hungry! I love tabouli and cold salads because they are so refreshing. I think I'm in a veggie deficit...

Back to Dalí!

My dad and I visited Dalí again in Somerville, MA. We ordered most of the same things we did last time. The food was INCREDIBLE. The only problem with going there for dinner is that you keep comparing it to other restaurants afterwards and nothing measures up....

We started with:

• Warm homemade bread with a garlicky (and a little olive-y) chickpea spread
• Cava Sangria (Sangria made with Cava -- Spanish sparkling wine)

For tapas, we ordered:

• Tortilla Española - warm potato and onion omelette... my favorite Spanish food
• Pimiento del Piquillo - delicious red peppers with a shrimp stuffing
• Lomito al Cabrales - thin pieces of pork tenderloin in a light and creamy sauce of Cabrales and mushrooms... my favorite dish of the night!
• Langostinos a la Plancha - perfectly grilled prawns in their shells
• Esparragos Blancos - white Spanish asparagus with two sauces

For dessert:

• I had Flan de Leche de Cabra (flan made from goat milk)
• My dad had Manchego y Membrillo (classic Spanish sheep cheese with quince paste)
  

Pesto Pizza!!

I was looking for an easy dinner idea after a long day, and came up with this pizza. I started with a storebought pizza dough, stretched it out, and spread it with pesto. I added caramelized onions, roasted artichoke hearts, feta cheese, and drizzled the whole pie with olive oil. Tasty... :)

Biscotti Time!

Every year, my mom and I spend at
least a day baking biscotti, Italian twice-baked cookies. They're perfect for dipping in coffee, hot cocoa or tea. There are some flavors that we make every year, and we usually add a few new ones. This year's flavors are:

Cranberry Almond / Apple, Nut & Spice / Cranberry Walnut
Anise / Citrus Poppyseed / Cherry & Chocolate Chip
Mocha Almond / Double Ginger / Cranberry Pistachio
Chocolate & Peanut Chip / Tropical Trail Mix
Super Nutty (Almond, Walnut & Hazelnut)
Lemon Rosemary (savory)

Buttermilk Bread

I've been in a baking mood lately, but I've been crunched for time. I had a few hours on my hands, but I'm very type-A so I was doing multiple things at once and needed a quick bread idea. Not really a "quick bread" but more of a "shortcut" yeast bread. I found a recipe for buttermilk loaves-- a blended yeast bread. The beginning of the mixing process is done using a hand mixer. Very interesting process, actually. Before you know it, you have yummy loaves of bread, and your whole house smells like a bakery.

Tandoori Night!!!

My man and I had dinner with some great friends (and their very friendly dogs!) last night... Tandoori chicken (delicious!), fried mixed veggies, perfectly-cooked basmati rice, pappadums, salsas and raita. Everything was tasty, to say the least. To drink -- riesling for the girls and beer for the guys. And for the perfect ending -- Indian-style mango ice cream. The atmosphere was complete with Indian music -- Anoushka Shankar. The best part, though, was cooking the meal together. Good food & great friends... The perfect start to the holiday season.

Big thanks to our host & hostess. :)

Euro!

Last night, my boy and I enjoyed a delicious meal at Euro (the link is for a history of the restaurant, but the website welcomes donations for Dzemila, part of the family that owns the restaurant, who was injured in a terrible accident). Euro serves up (obviously) European delicacies from numerous countries, including dishes made with veal, lamb, seafood, chicken, and pasta. We started with freshly made garlic rolls and a chopped salad. I had the chicken picatta with pine nuts and my boy had the chicken francese. They offer a selection of sides (mashed potatoes, fries, pasta, or veggies) and the salad and rolls come standard with entrees. We ended our meal with dessert: for him, the baklava (the phyllo dough is handmade!) and for me, a slice of good old apple pie. Delicious. The service is friendly, the food is make quickly, and it's an overall pleasant experience!