Posted in: Food
I'm literally running out the door but I couldn't help posting this little baby that just came out of the oven. How pretty!
I'm so impressed with the Sullivan Street Bakery recipe I used. Yes, I know I'm just a little late discovering it - but that doesn't make it any less wonderful.
Can't wait to come back and crack this little beauty open.
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For anyone who watched Gilligan's Island, the words "three-hour tour", do not instill confidence. Yet on the day before my sister's wedding we found ourselves in North Lake Harbour, PEI at McNeill’s Tuna Fishing, about to embark on just that. Despite the company name, we won’t be fishing tuna. Although Captain Jeff McNeill could tell you some stories. Like the recent tuna he caught - 677 lbs and 924 lbs. That's too much for these landlubbers so we’re after mackerel today.
Before we leave the delightful harbour, Captain Jeff gives a quick talk using the Bride-to-Be as his assistant to demonstrate the safety features of the vessel and the functioning of the life vest to the landlubbers.
With that, we are off and sailing with the wind. OK not really – we’re motoring but we’re motoring near some windmills on PEI’s east coast, which are most impressive.
After this brief bit of sight seeing which also gives us the chance to see some sea lions, we arrive at thedesignated fishing spot where Captain Jeff turns off the motor and gives a quick demonstration of how to operate the fishing rod and reel and how to catch a fish. To everyone’s amazement this actually ended with him catching several mackerel on his first reel in! Claps and cheers from the landlubbers and we’re off trying to outdo him.
We went fishing and camping as kids but let’s be clear – we’re not really outdoors people. Given the chance I choose glamping over camping. My European parents rightly thought that their children should not miss out on these Canadian experiences but this sometimes meant pitching a tent in the wooded area a few feet from our house. Not exactly adventure extreme conditions. But we found it to be quite the adventure all the same. I believe I did catch a fish as a child and there is definitely a picture of my youngest sister with a fish she caught that appears to be twice her size. So we are not without skills. I'm feeling confident.
The most interesting thing about this trip was what I learned about certain members of my family when caught in a primal hunter/gatherer moment. Screams from a few you might not expect and deftly exhibited skill from others came as a great surprise. Ya think you know people.
We do not cast our lines like we did when I was a kid fishing off a dock into rivers and lakes, but we simply drop them over the side and let it sink to the bottom before reeling it up while at the same time lifting the rod up and down smoothly to attract the fish. Within two minutes I am embroiled in a strange triangle with my youngest sister and her boyfriend, our lines are seemingly inextricably entangled. Captain Jeff to the rescue and we are free. So far I suck at this.
The others are catching fish left and right and our bucket of mackerel is growing. But I’m getting nothing.
And then this happens. A cheeky seabird thought it was a great idea to wait until he saw the mackerel coming up on the line before diving down to get it. Brilliant! Or not so brilliant perhaps. Now I have a bird on the end of my line. Or do I? The line snaps and the bird is now floating a few yards from the boat but with its wings tied up on its back in a sort of reverse Namaste position (for the yogis among you).
At this point, I really have to commend the actions of the captain and crew who quickly gave the order of ‘Rods up’ and had us haul in our lines so they could get to the bird and rescue it. Catching it in a net they deftly untangled the bird and promptly set it free causing very little trauma to the animal who seemed rather un-phased by the experience shaking it off as the cost of doing business. I imagine that fishermen see this thing all the time but suffice it to say there were a few landlubbers on board who may have been scarred for life.
Beside this bird, and one mackerel which was deemed to small to keep, so far I have not caught anything. But near the end of the trip, I feel a great tug on my line and with a little effort swiftly reel in my catch. I’m told it’s the biggest of the day. Clearly I’m a quality, not quantity person.
So before we knew it, our 3 hours were up and we were back at North Lake Harbour. All in all, a brilliant day out and Captain Jeff and his crew made the day fun and relaxed while teaching us a thing or two as well. The crew cleaned and filleted our mackerel right on board making it easy for us to take away.
But for me the highlight of the fishing trip came a day later when for appetizers at the wedding banquet, we were served small pieces of our mackerel, lightly breaded and pan fried. There’s something pretty special about knowing where that fish came from and how it came to be where it was.
MacNeill's Tuna Fishing Charters
North Lake Harbour, PEI
Contact: Captain Jeff MacNeill
Tel: 902 - 357- 2858
http://www.peitunacharters.com/
When we found out we were going to Prince Edward Island for my sister’s wedding all thoughts turned to the obvious. Lobster. Yes, lobster and how to enjoy and take advantage (in every way we could), of something, that on the Pacific Coast is very much a luxury. Of course the ubiquitous lobster roll is available at almost every restaurant you may stop in (including Subway and McDonald’s - yes you guessed it - McLobster). Less known perhaps are the lobster potato chips - strangely delicious - although perhaps not that lobstery? Not sure if lobstery is really a word but heck, it should be! Aside from these, we had three lobster dinner experiences in our travels through Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island.
Bluenose II Restaurant, Halifax
Bluenose II is a chain of family restaurants that reminds me of my childhood. Salad with thousand island dressing anyone? Homey and comfortable, this is a very casual dining establishment and for the most part seemed to be filled with Haligonians. (Isn't that a great word? - so much more grand that Vancouverites or Londoners.)
The lobster supper ran at $23.95 (market price) for a 1.5 lb lobster and includes salad, with choice of dressing – if you grew up in the 80s you’ll remember the choices - and choice of potato. An ample meal to say the least and on the surface would appear to be quite the deal.
Of course they supply you with bibs and the usual lobster paraphernalia, but beware. A man at the next table asked where we from. “Vancouver,” we proudly replied. “I knew it!” he exclaimed. When I asked him, “How?”, he proclaimed frankly, “Easy - you put the bibs on.” Harsh! OK, so first faux pas, apparently. How were we to know?
As far as the lobster was concerned, I’m sad to say, I think it may have died in vain. I found it to be more overcooked than I would like. And no, I’m not just bitter about slights against my lobster fashion sense. Despite the texture, the flavour, was very good. The accompaniments, especially the greek roasted potatoes, were very tasty - full of hearty flavour. The staff was friendly and helpful in a very genuine way.
Dockside Lobster at Richard's Seafood
We didn’t go looking for this one but after a bike ride through the Prince Edward Island National Park, near Stanhope, we found ourselves at Richard’s Seafood which consists of a dockside eatery where you can eat in, as well as a fishing shack where you can buy fish, oysters, clams and lobster to take out.
We started out with some oysters.
How could we refuse Malpeques at $1 each and $3 to shuck? The fellow helping us packed the oysters carefully in ice in a compostable take-away container and was quick with offers of tabasco.
With those going down quite nicely, we found it equally hard to pass on the $9.99 per lb lobster. An extra $0.75 if you want it cooked . We got two cooked between four of us and plunked ourselves down right outside on a picnic table to eat it up.
In my opinion, this is the best way to eat lobster and of all our experiences, this was the best atmosphere. To be able to buy right from the fisherman and partake of the bounty right then and there was really something. And you can skip all that anxiety of getting messy in a restaurant.
New Glasgow Lobster Suppers
One of the main planned events of the my sister's wedding weekend festivities was a traditional PEI Lobster Supper on the day after the wedding.
After a glorious day on Cavendish Beach we made the short drive to New Glasgow. There must have been 200 cars in the parking lot of the New Glasgow Lobster Suppers Restaurant. My first thought - "that’s a lot of lobster!" True enough. Our waitress shared that they cook between 500-600 lobsters an evening. The restaurant's online video boasts that their tanks can accommodate 20,ooo lbs of lobster at any one time.
The process is fairly simple, harkening back to the church supper tradition of these meals. You buy a ticket at the door for the desired poundage. A 1lb lobster is $34.95 but for the larger appetites (and wallets) a 4lb’er goes for $65.95. (Prices are market dependent of course).
After taking our seats, the server brought unlimited mussels and chowder as well as an appetizer salad. Iceberg lettuce and pale tomato. Pass. The mussels were completely unadorned – just steamed and tasting of the sea. I mean that in a good way.
I chose the 1lb lobster, which was perhaps in hindsight, a bit small, but it was perfectly cooked. I definitely wanted more.
The ticket price includes dessert. Old-fashioned favourites like chocolate ice cream, lemon meringue and blueberry pie are the stars of the show.
New Glasgow Suppers are a true experience - one of those 'has to be done' things. It was perfect for a big group like ours and it provides a pretty safe atmosphere to try it out if there are any lobster virgins among you.
But my favourite experience was the dockside lobster at Richard's - That atmosphere would be hard to beat in a 5 star restaurant. I'll know for next time to head first to the docks, seek out the locals and skip the bib.
New Glasgow Lobster Suppers
#604 Route 258
New Glasgow, Prince Edward Island
http://www.peilobstersuppers.com
Richard's Seafood
9 Covehead Wharf,
Stanhope, Prince Edward Island
http://www.richardsfreshseafood.com
Bluenose II Restaurant
1825 Hollis Street
Halifax, Nova Scotia
http://www.bluenoseii.ca/
By my second day in Prince Edward Island I was pretty much in love. The rolling hills, the white-painted churches, the tidy barns, the fields of wildflowers; They had me at hello. But when I arrived in North Rustico, I was head over heels.
Fresh mussels overlooking the water. Oysters straight from Raspberry Point. The young couple beside us teaching their small children the finer points of how to eat a lobster. It was really too much. The sunset. My nearest and dearest right there with me. Yep, I was a goner.
The Blue Mussel Café was a bit of a find. Let me tell you, travelling with 4 others, 3 of whom are blood relatives, does not an easy restaurant selection process make. Allow an extra 30 -45 minutes to walk around eliminating those we do not care for. But everyone was happy when we found this place.
The setting is lovely. Casual and welcoming, the restaurant overlooks the water and the evening sun warms the patio. First rule broken. In my experience waterfront setting = bad food. OK perhaps that is somewhat harsh, but more than once, a beautiful location and a severe case of goldfish memory has conned me into spending too much money on something quite mediocre.
The menu features lots of Atlantic staples: chowder, mussels, oysters, halibut, haddock. I chose the fish cakes, served with crackers and a sort of mustard pickle. Not fancy but deliciously comforting. And exactly what I was after.
Portions were ample but we did leave room for dessert and these were wonderful. We devoured them too quickly leaving this paparazzo no chance to capture them on film.
We shared two desserts between 5 of us (pre-wedding diet in effect). They were a chocolate pecan tart with a caramel filling which was to die for and a blueberry bread pudding with a custard sauce that was like something someone's grandma made. No seriously a real grandma, not just a made up marketing one.
But the highlight of the night was the sunset. More beautiful every minute. We sat there hoping to hang on to it.
The Blue Mussel Café
312 Harbourview Drive,
North Rustico Harbour, PEI
http://www.bluemusselcafe.com/index.htm
Here's the view that greeted me when I woke up from my electric blanket / jet lag induced coma. Yes god bless Ireland and electric blankets. They make everything all right.
I'm staying with a good friend in County Louth, just north of Dublin. This friend is also a talented chef, so the added bonus of our friendship is that I eat like a Queen and let's face it we all know how much I like that. Today, granola and fruit. Blueberries here are amazing. They are just juicy balls of flavour.
Hi all, I haven't posted in a while and lots has been happening so I'll thought I'd just do a quick post with some of my photos from the last month or so.
Among these are some photos that I took when I recently had the great fortune to spend the day taking pictures with the lovely Clare Barboza and a group of avid food photographer students at Clare's food photography workshop in Seattle, WA. Clare is a Seattle based documentary food photographer and spending the day with her was truly a joy. We have so much to learn from each other. I was so struck how of the 7 people in the workshop, not one of us had the same shot, even though we all had access to the same props and subject matter. It truly goes to show you the importance of vision. Thanks Clare for a truly magnificent day.
The food was prepared by Seattle chef Becky Selengut and I can tell you it tasted as good as it looked!
Additionally, I'm including some photos from some of the things I've been baking and cooking lately.
For the last weekend in February, I was happy to pay Seattle a visit to meet up with a friend from Ireland.Friday
Despite having spent a good part of my childhood in Canada's north, where minus 40 Celsius was not uncommon, these days if it hits the freezing mark I'm ill prepared. But that said, the gorgeous sun made up for it. After settling in to our hotel, we headed down to Pike Place and Lowell's, a Seattle classic and had a couple of pints and watched the sun set over Puget Sound. The changing light gave me plenty of opportunity to play with my new SLR. I'll be spending a lot more time learning over the coming months and am excited to get going.
Saturday
If you have ever been to Ireland or many other placed in Europe, you may be familiar with the Spar chain of corner shops. While hardly a culinary mecca I have a very fond memory for a certain prepared pastry that always appeared in the hot case of my local Spar at the corner of Glentworth street in Limerick City. Having been away for several years now, I was pleased to discover on a previous trip to Seattle, Le Panier, and their versions of the same pastry. Warm and yummy with various fillings of cheese, spinach, potatoes, onions and mushrooms, Le Panier's versions are far superior in nature, but they also give me the warm memory feeling that I associate with the original.
Having already had quite an ample breakfast, this occasion we opted for one of their gorgeous pain au chocolat which rival anything to be found in France.
The requisite walk around Pike Place market provided a bit more photo practice.
Sunday: The Oscars
Finding ourselves in Seattle on Oscar night we thought why not take advantage of all Pike Place Market has to offer and have our very own Oscar Picnic in the comfort of the Westin. We hit De Laurentis' deli for some beautiful Jamón Serrano some lovely blue cheese from Oregon, and Aberquina olives. While this year wouldn't have been my favourite year for the Oscars, I was very happy to see Colin Firth and The King's Speech be recognized. The food certainly didn't disappoint.
Baking. I used to do it all the time but kind of lost my passion for it. Cooking is so much more forgiving than baking and I like to make mistakes. But for some reason this past Christmas - I think I was spurred on by new baking accessories - I found myself knee deep in flour and sugar. Here are some of my treats. And today on this rainy day in Vancouver, what better than one of these with a nice cuppa. Lovely.
For our last day on our recent trip to San Francisco, we headed back to the Mission District where we'd already spent a bit of time...but not enough. Mission Dolores
The Mission District gets its name from the Mission Dolores, one of the original California Mission Churches. The Old Mission or Misión San Francisco de Asís was founded in 1776 and was also known as Mission Dolores due to the presence of a nearby creek called Arroyo de los Dolores.
Holy Bread of a Different Kind
Having heard about Tartine which reportedly makes best loaf of bread in the world we thought we'd try our luck at coffee and a pastry for breakfast. Given the line up which extended a block from the entrance they must be doing something right. Patience not being my biggest virtue we decided to move on and try it later. We did manage a lovely biscuit later in the afternoon. Not bad. I can't speak for the bread but by all reports it's amazing and sells out within 45 minutes of 5pm when it hits the shelves each day.
We did a bit of a drive-by on Delfina which seemed to be the talk of the town. All weekend, anyone we asked recommended it as a great place to eat. There is a main restaurant as well a more casual pizzeria. Again - big line up waiting for the Pizzeria to open for lunch. It looked great but we were too hungry to wait.
Down the street is Farina, an Italian bistro, specializing in pizza and pasta. We were there for breakfast so didn’t get to taste the latter but really enjoyed the floor show in the open kitchen where pizza dough was tossed and rolled before being slipped into a forno style oven. Another chef hand rolled pasta and made what appeared to be squash tortellini.
Later we walked around the Mission to take in the atmosphere and check out the murals which are very prevalent in this area. Some of the more elaborate ones, like the Maestrapeace Mural which covers the Women's Building, feature incredible detail.
We would have been very happy to spend the entire weekend here. Such a lively neighbourhood with plenty of options for food and a great atmosphere. Definitely one of the highlights of our trip to San Francisco.
Addresses:
Delfina, 3621 18th Street
Farina, 3560 18th Street
Mission Dolores, 3321 16th Street
Tartine Bakery, 600 Guerrero Street (at 18th)
I love roasted peppers and I love the process of roasting them. bought some beautiful peppers at Vancouver's Trout Lake Farmer's market...
Shortly after we returned from Spain, Super G gave me a gift of Phaidon's The Book of Tapas, by Ines & Simone Ortega which delighted me to no end. The photography is beautiful and there are lots of recipes to try out. You can buy it here. For my first venture, I decided on meatballs or albóndigas because I thought these could also serve nicely as picnic food, to be warmed up on the barbeque.
So I pretty much did the prep at home and then took them in my fabulous picnic tiffin tin to the picnic site and then warmed them up on the barbeque in a roasting dish. Worked a treat. I will try this recipe again although I would probably play with the spice mixture a bit. For me the seasoning was not adequate. That said, they were even better the second day.
Here's some shots from the preparation:
This is a recipe that I found on my iPhone's epicurious app...which I love by the way. My favourite part is the built-in shopping list feature that allows you to check off the items as you shop or even email them to your honey to buy for you. I came into some basil recently via some props for a photo shoot we did for a client so it was great to put it to good use in this dish and I made a lovely basil oil by blending a very generous handful of basil with 3/4 cup of olive oil and a pinch of salt.
Afterwards you need to drain the oil from the basil 'solids' using a coffee filter. I was at Super G's this day so I fashioned something makeshift out of a chinese rice bowl, a coffee filter and elastic band borrowed from a sprig of asparagus.
You grill the eggplant - I used a grill pan rather than the barbeque and got those lovely charred grill marks. Make a stack - eggplant, tomato, basil oil, goats cheese, basil oil. Repeat.
My intention was to use these for our planned BC day picnic so I wrapped them in foil and put them in the fridge so that they could just be popped on the barbeque. The popping on the barbeque part worked great...I just couldn't wait until the picnic to eat them and we ended using them to test drive the new portable barbeque commissioned earlier in the day.
On reflection, I'd probably pare the goat's cheese down to just one round within a stack. But it sure looked purdy! And yummy too.
