Cream of Mushroom Soup

I love sandwiches. In fact, I have been mulling over the idea of getting a giant party sub to share for my birthday. So when my friend Devin told me about a new sandwich place in our neighborhood, I had to go. I visited Sky Blue Sky on Sunday, and upon walking in, instantly fell in love with the smell of coffee and grilling sandwiches, and the red checkerboard table cloths. I opted for the One Wing (as also recommended by Devin), which was a solid choice, and I got to enjoy my sandwich hiding in a booth with a mug of coffee and a Now Magazine. A welcome addition to the neighborhood!

For $4.99 I enjoyed, "thinly sliced oven roasted turkey with cream cheese, cranberry sauce and a hint of stuffing served on cranberry and cream cheese bread." This was what was left of it before I even thought to take a quick phone pic.

Anyways, on to the soup. I found the recipe for this Not Your Average Cream of Mushroom Soup, on the WillCookForFriends blog and decided to give it a go, even though it felt like spring today in Toronto. I used an organic mushroom medley I found pre-cut at Loblaws, also added more button mushrooms, and a few slices of Portobello mushrooms. As for the dried mushrooms, I used a combination of Porcini and Shiitake. It turned out well, I took a lighter route with skim milk, and obviously took the suggestion of substituting a cup of the broth for white wine. I used the Jackson Triggs chardonnay pictured below. Instead of a food processor, I used an immersion blender, which works just as well. I also found I did not chop up my mushrooms enough, so I also used the immersion blender at the end to puree the soup a little bit.

Jalapeno cheese bread from Cobs to accompany the soup :)

Cream of Mushroom Soup (from WillCookForFriends)

3 TBSP butter (or olive oil)
1 large onion - fine to medium chop
3-4 cloves garlic - minced
1 oz. dried mushrooms, Shiitake, Porcini, or mixed - rehydrated in 1 cup boiling water
1.5 lbs fresh mushrooms, button, Cremini, Shiitake, or mixed - roughly sliced or chopped into chunks
1/4 cup flour
3-4 cups mushroom stock (or other vegetable stock - optionally can replace up to 1 cup with white wine)
1/2 cup milk or cream (or milk substitute - soy, almond, rice, etc.)
Sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper to taste

Directions:

In a bowl, pour 1 cup boiling water over dried mushrooms and set aside to rehydrate. Prep other ingredients - gently wipe fresh mushrooms clean with a damp cloth or paper towel, remove any woody stems, and slice/chop mushrooms and onion.
In a large heavy bottom pot over medium heat, combine butter (or oil), onion, and garlic. Let cook 7-10 minutes, stirring once or twice.
Add fresh mushrooms and stir to combine. Let cook another 7-10 minutes. Season with a little salt to help draw out some of the juices.
While the mushrooms cook, pour dried mushrooms along with their soaking liquid into the bowl of your food processor. Blend to a paste, as smooth or chunky as you like, then add to the pot. (This step can be replaced with running your knife through the rehydrated mushrooms a few times before adding them to the soup, but I find they can sometimes be a little chewy if not chopped fine enough). Add flour, and cook for another 4-5 minutes, stirring frequently.
Increase heat to high, and add the stock and white wine, if using, to the pot. Stir thoroughly, then bring to a boil to thicken.
Reduce heat to low and pour in the milk, cream, or milk substitute. Season with salt and fresh black pepper to taste, and serve

I'd also like to holla at my cousin Liam (to the left), who celebrated his birthday on Saturday (present pictured below). Here's to another 26 years of being BFF in matching sweaters! Thank you for your constant love and support (because you are probably the only person who reads this blog), and also always looking out for me. Saturday evening was spent watching Liam drink about a million Prairie Fire shots and give Chris noogies :)

Spaghetti and Meatballs mean you care :)

Winter in Canada means eating for comfort, eating to keep warm, and eating with drinking. Recently my friend Miranda suggested we have dinner at Smokeless Joe in Little Italy, and we engaged in some eating with drinking. Chatted by candlelight, ate a large serving of mussels, and drank multiple beers. I especially like Spearhead Brewery's Hawaiin Style Pale Ale, which I had first encountered at the Royal Agricultural Fair this past year. These nights definitely need to happen more this winter.

On another (sad) winter note, my best guy friend, Jama, broke a rib slipping on ice on the street (how I wish I snapped a phone pic of the cripple to post). He is out of work and in bed, which means I got to make him a man-care-package, and also knit in his bed while watching movies (sidenote: The Descendants gets two thumbs up, and I got two thumbs down from him for apparently having the hobby of an 80 year old woman). His man-care-package consisted of: the newest issue of Sports Illustrated, a bag of Valentine's Day candy from Bulk Barn, a little bottle of Glenfiddich, and a big container of spaghetti and meatballs. The spaghetti was a good call because when I got there, it was 6:30pm and he was wasting away and only eaten 10 Crispers (i.e. what he could find in his room).
I bought enough ingredients to make a mass quantity of giant meatballs, and used a whole box of spaghetti, so this was also distributed to my roommate, and packed as tomorrow's lunch for a friend and myself.

Meatballs (makes about 30, 2inch meatballs)
Ingredients:
1.5 lbs extra lean ground beef
1.5 lbs lean veal
3 eggs
1/2 cup Italian parsley roughly chopped
1 cup breadcrumbs
1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic
1 tbsp oregano
1 tbsp basil
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper 

1. Preheat broiler to 500 degrees
2. Combine all the ingredients in a bowl, with a wooden spoon or your hands.
3. Form mixture into balls (mine were on the large side, about 2 inches in diameter) and place in a shallow baking dish or on a baking sheet (lining with foil is not necessary, but I regret not doing so a little bit for cleaning convenience).
4. Broil on an upper rack in the oven until the tops are brown, flip the meatballs and broil the other side until they are deep brown.
5. Serve with pasta and sauce of your choice.

Tilapia and Scallop Ceviche

It's raining outside, I'm so tired, I didn't make it to yoga after school, and it has now taken three (!!) attempts to build my new ikea desk. Third times a charm and thank goodness I don't aspire to be a handy man. But on the bright side, I have some ceviche to look forward to having for supper.
I first tried ceviche at El Fogon a couple years ago when I was taken there by my Peruvian friend. I also have such fond memories of eating ceviche at a local restaurant on the beach in the Mayan Riviera with some girl friends. I have since experimented in making it with different kinds of white fish available to me (mostly from fish markets). I am now going through a seafood phase which inspired me to incorporate scallops. It is easy to prep and must be made ahead, just make sure to use really fresh ingredients since it is made with raw seafood.
Ceviche is typically made with raw white fish, marinated in citrus juices, such as lemon or lime (Peruvians also use bitter orange), and seasoned. Depending on the place, it is prepared in ways and seasoned differently, and a variety of seafood are incorporated.

The acidity in the lime juice will "cook" the fish and scallops (or to be nerdy about it, the citric acid will cause the seafood to become "denatured").

Tilapia and Scallop Ceviche
1/4 cup cilantro leaves
1 tilapia fillet
5 medium bay scallops
2 limes, juiced
1 tomato, seeded and chopped (cherry tomatoes halved is also a good choice)
1/4 cup red onion, thinly sliced and chopped into small pieces
1 avocado

Directions:
1. Cut tilapia and scallops into smaller pieces. Put into container and cover with lime juice.
2. Add cilantro, red onion and tomato. Mix well.
3. Chill covered in fridge to marinate over night.
4. Peel, seed and cup up avocado. Top with avocado and serve while it is cold!

Pan-Fried Gnocchi with Arugula Pesto

In anticipation of a busy weekend, I ended up freezing my gnocchi to give myself some extra time to think up ideas on what to do with it. I had a full (stomach) weekend of eating, which included hot pot family dinner at the grandparents, dim sum in Yorkville (refer to smiling sui mai pictured below) and bubble tea. Also furniture shopping at Ikea and eating 15 Swedish meatballs for $5.99. Actually that's a lie, I couldn't finish all 15, and the remaining were left for my cousin Liam to clean up.

Yesterday, I found myself at the new Loblaws at Maple Leaf Gardens shopping with my aunt who has since boycotted Metro upon its opening. She raves that it was not only more impressive but more importantly had lower prices, even on staples such as milk (she is also well informed by keeping up to date on her flyers, and will send out texts so that we know about what deals she has found). This store is proof that you really can get it all under one roof (including a walk-in clinic). I spotted some arugula pesto in the deli section, and was about to give it a go for my gnocchi, but gave it a second thought. I labored for hours over making my pasta, I owe it to myself to go big or go home and therefore should make my own pesto. And so i walked myself over to the produce.

(In hindsight, taking the photo while it was in a green bowl maybe wasn't the best artistic representation.)

I first thawed my gnocchi and coated them in a little bit of olive oil to keep from sticking. I browned them evenly on both sides in a frying pan. I then transferred them to a bowl and tossed them in my arugula pesto. I also topped it with some cilantro, pine nuts, Parmesan and arugula. My roommate being my guinea pig for the evening (and pretty much always) thoroughly enjoyed it, and is bringing it for lunch tomorrow. I was more critical of my work, and think my arugula pesto recipe will need a bit of altering before a second attempt. I may also substitute pine nuts for walnuts or pecans next time.

Arugula Pesto
3 cups arugula lightly packed
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup pine nuts
2 tablespoons of lemon juice
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
2 cloves garlic, peeled
Salt and black pepper to taste

Blend well, spoon over pasta and toss until well coated.

Brussels Sprout Salad and Gnocchi (for Beginners and Idiots, i.e. me)

Maybe I'm crazy, but I have now spent hours making gnocchi, while i should have been doing homework. And all I can say is that I succeeded! Pretty sure my after thought was, "man, I'm exhausted, and eating these will just add to my holiday weight." It was difficult at times and I do not own a potato ricer, so Deb's way, with a grater would have to work for me. But on the plus side, it was very inexpensive to attempt. Also the sauce is still TBD, so they have gone into the fridge.

After class, I walked to the St. Lawrence Market to pick up some baking potatoes. But I was obviously sidetracked by the temptation to purchase and eat everything (what else is new). So I steered myself towards the ingredients to make a brussels sprout salad in my efforts to bring a healthy lunch to school tomorrow. The idea for which came from Oprah's O Magazine and Colin Cowie's recipe.

P.S. How good would Gorgonzola be in the next adaptation of this salad? :)

The gnocchi was rolled on the tines of a fork to create ridges, like traditional gnocchi have.

Raw Brussels Sprout Salad (adapted from O Magazine)
1 cup chopped pecans (the original calls for slivered almonds, but I had pecans at home)
2 pounds brussels sprouts
1/4 cup olive oil (the original also gives alternatives)
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 tablespoon salt
1/4 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons finely grated parmesan cheese

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake pecans on a baking sheet for 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.
2. Slice brussels sprouts as thinly as possible.
3. Whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper.
4. Add brussels sprouts, pecans and parmesan cheese. Toss until combined.

Gnocchi with a Grater (From Smitten Kitchen)
2 pounds Russet potatoes
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 large egg, lightly beaten

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 400°F. Prick the potatoes all over with a fork, and bake them on a baking sheet for 45 minutes to one hour, or until they are fork-tender. For best results, turn the potatoes over halfway through the baking time. Let the potatoes cool slightly.
2. Peel the potatoes, and then pass them through a potato ricer, food mill or grate them over the large holes of a box grater into a large bowl. Add the lightly beaten egg and the salt to the potatoes and mix well with a wooden spoon.
3. Add the flour to the potatoes a little at a time, using only as much as you need so that the dough will not stick to your hands. When the flour has been incorporated, bring the dough together with your fingertips.
4. Dump the dough and any remaining floury bits onto a slightly floured surface. Knead the dough as you would bread dough. Press down and away with the heel of your hand, fold the dough over, make a quarter turn, and repeat the process. Knead for about three or four minutes.
5. Form the dough into a ball and then divide it into 6 smaller balls. On a lightly floured surface, roll out one of the six pieces using your fingertips into a long rope about 3/4 inch thick. Cut the dough into 1 inch pieces.
6. You can cook the gnocchi as it is now, but traditional gnocchi has ridges. To create the ridges, press each piece of dough against the tines of a fork. With your finger, gently roll the pressed dough back off the fork. This takes a little practice. If you find the dough sticking to the fork, dip the fork in flour before you press the dough against it.
7. Place the gnocchi in a single layer on a lightly floured or parchment-lined dish. If you’d like to freeze them for later use, do so on this tray and once they are frozen, drop them into a freezer bag. This ensures that you won’t have one enormous gnocchi mass when you are ready to cook them.
8. To cook the gnocchi, place them into a pot of boiling and well-salted water. After a few minutes the gnocchi will float to the top. Continue to cook for one minute then remove and set aside.

Toblerone Shortbread

The ever-expanding convenience store on Queen Street, Gardenview (that is coincidentally owned by my violin teacher's sister), sells these Toblerone shortbread cookies that we used to walk to from our old house just to buy. Since we now live in the Annex, and my roommate loves shortbread, I decided to make my own. I did so with the help of Anna Olsen from the Food Network and her pretty simple recipe, which took me about 40 minutes. My roommate, the shortbread connoisseur, gave these cookies two thumbs up, as every time I've gotten up from writing this entry, she's asked, "will you bring me a cookie on your way back?" Burnt chocolate smells not good, so just make sure you don't push the chocolate all the way through. The recipe yielded about 36 cookies for me. These cookies also freeze well if needed.

Toblerone Shortbread (slightly altered from The Food Network Baker Anna Olsen)
Ingredients:
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons icing sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch or rice flour (I used cornstarch)
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3.5 bars of Toblerone

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Beat butter until light and fluffy. Sift in icing sugar and beat again until fluffy, scraping down sides of bowl often.
3. Sift in cornstarch or rice flour and blend in. Sift in all-purpose flour and salt and mix just until dough comes together. Dough will be soft. Mix in vanilla extract.
4. Form dough into one inch balls on parchment paper, about 1.5 inches apart. Press Toblerone pieces into the dough balls. You should be able to fit 12 cookies on a 12 x 18 inch cookie sheet.
5. Bake on the middle rack for 9 minutes, until bottom of cookies are lightly browned. Remove from cookie sheet to cool on rack.

New year and my first blog.

Another year has gone by and I survived another Christmas away from home. I can't say I'm sad to see 2011 go, but I did have a good year eating and in the kitchen. I fell in love with all things seafood on the coast of California, I learned not all wine comes from a box from wine tasting in the Napa Valley, I embraced the wilderness cooking over an open fire camping in Big Sur, I bonded with my family over dim sum in Hong Kong, I indulged on crispy pork (pinoy lechon kawali) in the Philippines, I ruined my arteries with a Krispy Kreme epic burger at the CNE, I bought an immersion blender and started making soup, I expanded my culinary knowledge by borrowing recipes from my (gay) ex, Ben, I learned from my friends who have followed their passions to culinary school, and I started reading food and cooking blogs (Smitten Kitchen is my fave!).
All this inspired me to start my own little blog to measure my life in food successes. Because when life is too much, there is always delicious food+an alcoholic beverage, a new restaurant to try with friends, or baking out to Taylor Swift to ease my heart and mind. Thank goodness for hot yoga, because I will always be a fat girl at heart. And I'm thankful for my friends with big appetites, who are always happy to be fed.
So I raise my mug of peppermint tea: here's to my first blog, my last week of Christmas holiday, and a new year of food adventures and stories to tell :)

Gingerbread cupcakes with orange cream cheese icing. decorated with reindeer corn :)

 M&m Christmas cookies

 Garlic bread and lasagna to welcome Mario home from Montreal.

Three Olives cake vodka, a shot is like a grocery store vanilla cake with sprinkles :)