Hello Foodie

We’ve been meaning to get out to former Langdon Hall chef Jonathan Gushue’s new restaurant, The Berlin, since we heard he was opening back in the fall.  

Life gets busy, and they’ve been open since just before Christmas, so my husband’s 30th birthday this past week was reason enough to finally book a table.

We were greeted on a sudden cold snap of an evening to a warm restaurant with great visual design. I had been following the construction and menu development on the chef & restaurant’s Instagram, so I had a good idea of what to expect. My eyes were drawn initially to the beautiful reclaimed board floor, which was done by a local Cambridge shop, Galt Wood Co. Our own dining room table at home was crafted by this shop, so I was excited to see the gorgeous floors in person. The music, decor and ambiance was just right. 

We were seated in a comfortable booth near the middle side of the restaurant. We could gaze up to the back of the restaurant where the open kitchen is in full view, as well as down toward the front of the restaurant out to the blustery flurries outside. 

Our server was Jesse, and she was fabulous! She had just served the last bottle of Cab Sauv we wanted to enjoy, but was quick to recommend another wine she thought we’d like. She was attentive and checked in at the perfect times throughout the evening (not when we’d just taken a bite of food like so many other servers seem to do). She was always there when we needed something, but never interrupted our group’s conversation. As I said, her attention and timing was great all night.

I started with the Potted Duck with Salted Cream, Foie Gras Parfait and Picked Pear Jam. To. Die. For. The sourdough that the pastry chef puts out is incredible as well. The other two appetizers we tried were the Loire Goats Cheese, Grilled Treviso, Dried Fruit and Earl Gray Vinaigrette, and the Salmon with Fennel, Blood Orange, Basil & Toasted Almonds. Both perfectly balanced and delicious. 

My main was Grass Fed Beef, Creamed Parsnip (wasn’t creamed), Coal Roasted Onion, with Crushed Herb Sauce. Three out of the four of our group had the beef, and we all enjoyed it. The other had the Elora Hen, French Green Lentils, Toasted Leeks, Cranberries & Almonds. Ugh, those lentils. Perfectly cooked, and the whole dish was full of simple but refined flavours. The food was what I had expected: simple yet polished, and it all tasted great. Our only criticism was the temperature of our food. The plates were obviously warmed, however the food itself when it reached our table was warm, not hot. All four mains had this problem. None of us had an issue finishing our plates, but it should have been hot to begin with.

We tried two of the dessert offerings; Burnt Lemon Curd (with a chocolate crumb & ice cream) and the Milk Chocolate & Salted Caramel Pie with Espresso Ice Cream. Yes, and yes.

We will definitely be back, and I look forward to trying one of the amazing looking Terrines the chef creates. And the dumplings.

On a recent business trip to San Francisco, the concierge at the Fairmont booked us a table at Stones Throw for dinner.  We had an amazing meal, with probably one of the best bites of food I’ve ever had. I love meals like this! Squid Ink Conchiglie Pasta Spicy Capers, Clams, Calamari, Shrimp, Tender Greens The balance in this dish was perfect, hence my rating of the perfect bite of food. The acidity paired with the sweet and buttery seafood, and the freshness of the greens. Seriously amazing. 

Tomato-Braised Haricots Verts Burrata, Castelvetrano Olives, Firebrand Bread  Green beans at their finest. I ordered this specifically for the Burrata, and although I would have preferred just an appetizer of Burrata on the crostini, this was full of flavour and delicious. 

Photo Credit: http://darindines.com/2015/01/20/stones-throw/ & http://salepepeamore.com/2015/08/31/review-stones-throw/

I had the Scallops as my main, and although they were cooked to perfection, I discovered my slight dislike for Jerusalem artichokes. No thank you. 

I keep losing this post on my Pinterest food board so I figured (not only for selfish reasons so I can find it easier next time I want to make it) I’d share this delicious recipe with more of the internet. It is so good. If you like lamb and pasta — make this!

SERVES 6

5 tbsp olive oil

1 onion peeled and finely chopped

1 large carrot peeled and grated

2 celery sticks finely chopped

500g minced beef

500g minced lamb

100ml red wine

2 x 400g cans chopped tomatoes

2 tbsp tomato purée

200ml beef stock

butter for greasing

3 tbsp toasted fine breadcrumbs

300g tagliatelle or fettuccine

3 mozzarella balls drained and sliced

70g freshly grated pecorino cheese

salt and pepper to taste

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Fry the onion, carrot and celery for 10 minutes. Stir occasionally with a wooden spoon.

Add the minced meats and continue to cook for a further 5 minutes stirring continuously until coloured all over. Season with salt and pepper.

Pour in the wine, stir well and continue to cook for 5 minutes allowing the alcohol to evaporate.

Pour in the chopped tomatoes with the tomato purée and the stock, lower the heat and cook for 2 hours with the lid off. Stir the sauce every 15 minutes.

Once the sauce is ready, remove from the heat, check the seasoning and set aside.

Butter a 30cm round gratin dish (about 3 litre capacity, or a rectangular one of about the same size) and sprinkle over the breadcrumbs. Tap off any excess.

Preheat the oven to 190C fan/gas 5 (add 10C-20C for non-fan ovens).

Fill a large saucepan at least three-quarters full with water. Add 2 tbsp salt and bring to the boil. Cook the pasta in the boiling water until al dente, stirring every minute or so. To get the perfect al dente bite, cook the pasta for 1 minute less than indicated in the packet instructions. Drain and return the pasta to the same pan.

Pour over the meat sauce and gently stir for 30 seconds to allow the flavours to combine properly.

Spoon half of the pasta mixture into the dish and scatter over the mozzarella cheese. Cover with the remaining pasta.

Sprinkle over the pecorino.

Bake uncovered in the middle of the oven for 20 minutes.

Remove the dish from the oven and leave to rest for 3 minutes before portioning.

It was my 30th birthday last week, and my amazing husband cooked up a mini-getaway to New York City for a few nights. Neither of us had ever been to NYC, so we were both greatly looking forward to a totally different travel experience than what we’re used to, and of course the first thing I did was ask friends and family for dining recommendations. 

The Stanton Social came up from a number of people, and being a fan of celebrity chef Chris Santos, we decided to make this our special night out for my birthday dinner. To our surprise, we got a reservation for 7pm Friday night only the day before. 

From the moment we walked in, we knew we were in for a treat. The staff was trendy, tattooed, and welcoming. Something we often encounter in upscale restaurants is feeling unwelcome because of our own tattoos, so this place had a great feel to it. I couldn’t wait to eat! 

We had a couple of delicious cocktails to start; Grapefruit Hemingway Nolet Gin, lemon syrup, fresh lemon, muddled grapefruit, maraschino liqueur & a classic Old Fashioned (one of Matt’s faves). 

The menu at Stanton Social is all shareable small plates, and I must say, we really enjoyed it. One of us wasn’t disappointed in our choice, and wish we’d had what the other ordered - we got to share everything. Our server recommended sharing five dishes between us, but we opted to go with four (mainly because I wanted to make sure I had room for a sweet ending). 

Nori Spiced Tuna Poke Wonton - cilantro, avocado, crushed wasabi peas - My favourite dish of the night hands down. Simple, fresh, and great texture with the fried wonton. 

French Onion Soup Dumplings - Basically like little balls of french onion soup with a crouton on top. Bite into them and the flavorful caramelized onions & broth oozed out. The only thing I didn’t enjoy about this dish was the aroma of the melted cheese. I think it was Gruyere, and when you melt Gruyere, it smells like feet. 

Korean Short Rib Tacos - kimchi, gochujang aioli - I still don’t know if I like kimchi. I think I do, because these were really good. 

Mexican Sweet Corn Ravioli - roasted poblano crema, jalapeño, cotija, cilantro - My second favourite dish of the night. Anything pasta will easily win me over any day of the year. 

Warm Doughnuts - caramel, chocolate & berry dipping sauces - Yum. 

S’mores Panna Cotta - house made graham cracker, chocolate ganache - Yum.

Our table neighbours were super friendly and we chatted back and forth through the evening. We shared some of our doughnuts, and they shared this amazing invention of a dessert with us!

Movie Theater Sundae - brownie, peanut butter pretzels, popcorn ice cream, brown butter caramel - OMG Yum.

All food photos above borrowed from The Stanton Social twitter feed.

Any foodie can relate; cooking in a cramped, poorly laid-out kitchen is not the ideal scenario. We make it work, for the sake of good food, but every single day the space gets tighter and tighter. 

For the past few months, Matt and I have been tackling the entire main floor of our 1930′s home. Namely the kitchen and mudroom (down to the studs), but we refinished and matched the existing original hardwood on the whole main level, plus we couldn’t help but completely re-do the powder room while we were at it too. 

Here are a couple of “before” shots from before we moved in...

I’m not sure if I can pick a favourite new feature in my kitchen, but if I must, it would have to be the gas range. The pull out garbage & recycling centre is pretty awesome too. And the huge sink. Ok, it’s all my favourite. 

We still have a few finishing touches to do; mostly just painting all the new trim throughout and touch-ups here and there. Since the nice weather is here, our focus has been the exterior and gardens. We’ll get to it eventually. 

This being my first trip to Halifax, and to the east coast in general, let's just say it was my mission to eat seafood at every meal. I succeeded. 

Start to finish, The Bicycle Thief blew me away. And it will leave a lasting impression on me for sure. 

The staff was incredible. Our server knew what his stuff; the wine, the food, and checking in with each person individually (in our party of 16) after each dish was placed in front of us to ensure we liked what we were tasting.  Disclaimer: the following photographs are not mine, and credit is given where due. It was dark, and I was with 15 business colleagues, so the iPhone stayed in my bag.

Starter  I started with the freshly shucked Oysters, and the Tuna Tartare.

Main  Lobster Ravioloni

Dessert   oh. my. goodness. Butterscotch Cake. When I imagine what heroin would be like, this would be it. At first glance at the dessert menu, I would never have opted for this, but our server insisted it was incredible. It was literally to die for. It was the best cake I have ever had, and I would love to have this as my wedding cake. I wonder if they'd ship a cake to St. Maarten?

Kale & Brussels Sprouts Salad If you dislike eating raw kale, this salad will probably change your mind forever! Even Matt went back for seconds and scraped the bowl, and he is one of those people that doesn't love raw kale. I think I've converted him.  Minor variation to my salad: walnuts and organic pork bacon. 

Blue Cheese Burger (makes 4-5 burgers)

1.5 pounds lean (but not extra lean) ground beef

2 ounces blue cheese, crumbled

1 egg

1/4-1/2 cup breadcrumbs

1/4 cup minced fresh chives

1/4-1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce

1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

good pinch of salt

Chocolate Chip Pancakes

We might make and eat pancakes once a year in our house. I woke up on Sunday morning with a craving for chocolate chip pancakes; which I've probably only ever eaten once in my lifetime...but nevertheless, I wanted some. 

This recipe came together so easy and quick, I might consider making pancakes more often! The dark and rich maple syrup from the Bobcaygeon farmers market didn't hurt either. 

Ingredients

Mussels with Chorizo in a White Wine Tomato Sauce

I've always ordered this sort of dish in restaurants, but have never tried it in my own kitchen. Turns out it was super quick and simple, and easily as tasty as I have had in nice restaurants.