When spring arrives, you know it on the Canadian prairies-the food trucks and hot dog carts start to line Broadway in Winnipeg and the parking lots of the burger joints are lined up with weather-worn vehicles.  The mercury is predicted to dip mighty low again tonight so even though the calendar says it is spring, we are all waiting for the sun and earth to follow suit.  Well at least the spring food offerings will sustain us until summer picnics can commence.

In Thompson, where I am teaching for a couple of weeks, April means that Popeye’s is open again!  I understand that Allison, the owner, has a green thumb and in the summer months, the gardens are overflowing with blossoms.  Right now the snow banks still cover the flower beds and the bubbling fountain.  But the snow is melting on the front path and we had the choice of a couple of inside tables or dining in the car.  We chose the former.  Many other vehicles were pulling in and picking up their “to-go” orders, including one in front of us that drove away with literally bags of burgers.

No wonder so many people make the drive out of town to this tasty little spot.  The burger is made with a hand-formed seasoned patty and even though I ordered mine “loaded” the quality and deep taste of the beef, shone through.  I understand that the recipe for the patty is a trade secret along with the oil blend that the amazing French fries are cooked in.

This overflowing boxful provided two people, two helpings.  I can’t imagine anyone order a large order.

We were able to peak over the counter to see that the cut potatoes are plunged in oil twice.  I know that the best chips are made in this manner.  Have you ever wondered why?  Me, too and this is what I found out.  The answer was on a blog site that I have visited many times before, entitled Serious Eats.  “The key lies in the fact that not all water in a potato is equal. Some of it is bound within the potato’s structure more tightly then the rest, requiring more energy to expel it. During the first fry, some of the water present in the potato evaporates and exits, allowing the oil to enter the space it was taking, and come in direct contact with the potato’s cells. Meanwhile, water that is more tightly bound in the potato’s structure remains. Soon, individual molecules of starch break free from larger granules with the help of the energy provided by hot oil. These starch molecules then come in contact with the water still present in the potatoes, hydrating and forming a gel that acts as a kind of glue, reinforcing the structure of the cells around it. Over time, as the oil works its way into the potato, a relatively thick layer of starch-reinforced cells can build up around the exterior of the potato. This is the paper-like sheath you see around a potato that has been fried once at low temperature.”

I fly in and out of Thompson and so you may wonder how I was able to make this out-of-town jaunt.  No, I didn’t take a cab.  I was escorted by the Front Desk Agent from my hotel.  I am in town teaching a course in exactly this subject area.  The staff at the Lakeview take hospitality to an entirely new level.

Kath’s quote: “I would gladly pay you Tuesday, for a hamburger today.” Wimpy

Love-that is all.

D and I have a mutual bucket list of places in the world that we dream to visit. We are slowly checking off the most amazing places on earth: Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Amman, Rome, Paris, Nice, Monaco, Athens, London, New York, Chicago, New Orleans, Seattle and Washington, DC along with so many wonderful Canadian cities. Although we imagined that Portugal or Czech Republic would be next on our list, the history, art, beauty, romance and FOOD of Italy is calling us to return.

On my first sojourn to Italy, I threw my coins in the Fountain of Trevi with the hope that some way, somehow, I would return. In celebration of our 25th wedding anniversary, D and I stayed with good friends in Sicily and then took the train up the west coast of Italy hugging the Mediterranean, the entire length of the boot. We had an absolutely perfect trip (except for losing a bag at a train station) and never dreamed that we would have the opportunity to return.

D longs to visit Rome again and see the many sights that he missed during his whirlwind first visit. And although we have seen Viareggio and the other coastal towns of Tuscany, from a moving train, we have never set foot in Tuscany. Now an opportunity has presented itself that seems at first glance almost too good to be true. With perseverance and hard work, we will be able to make it happen. So this fall, we will be off to Montalcino, Tuscany as our base and then tour Pienza, Castellina in Chianti, Seggiano and Siena.

We’ll take photography and writing lessons, and be tutored by a private chef (who also owns the estate where we will stay). There are even plans to go truffle hunting. I only learned what a truffle was five years ago and now I get to forage in the woods of Tuscany for them! My life is rich. We are truly blessed and good things just keep happening to us.

I know that simplicity is central to Tuscan cuisine. Legumes, bread, cheese, vegetables, mushrooms, fresh fruit, olive oil and white truffles are key elements and the focus is on the high quality of the ingredients more than the complexity of the preparations. And then of course there is the Chianti! As soon as we knew that we were both going to be able to take on this adventure, D started researching Tuscan wines and discovered Brunello di Montalcino and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, so samplings of these will commence immediately in our home.

Readers of this space know that I love the anticipation of a trip almost as much as the time itself.  I am going to get out my history of art books and dive into the Renaissance. I will practice hiking up hills (a tough feat on the prairies). I am going to reread my favourite stories of Tuscany Under the Tuscan Sun, Too Much Tuscan Sun, A Thousand Days in Tuscany: A Bittersweet Adventure and The Hills of Tuscany.  I will finally rent A Room with a View. Tuscany, here we come.

Kath’s quote: “Life is good-life is fine. Life is tremendous, all the time“. Source Unknown

Love-that is all.
 

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If you are at all like me, you sit and think about what you would do if you won the lottery: how you would buy each of your family members a beach house, tell the kids that they could finish university at whichever university they wished to attend, support your favourite charities and travel.  Ah travel.  There are so many places to see and taste! This is the stuff of many of my daydreams but because I never ever buy a ticket, it will never be.  I always talk myself out of making a purchase because I know that my odds of winning are miniscule at best.

Well, here’s a contest that you would really have a good shot at: Sobeys West Tastes of the World Contest is ONLY available in Sobeys Stores in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and BC!  All you have to do is visit our local Sobeys store to pick up game board and pieces.  The contest started this week but there is still plenty of time because it runs until May 16th.   There are a number of instant prizes and ways to win but shoot for the stars and picture yourself in one of these amazing culinary destinations:

Paris, Rome, Hong Kong, Frankfurt, Cancun or Bangkok!

We’re having a twitter party on Tuesday, April 16th at 8pm (in Manitoba) with more prizes to be had.  I’ll be tweeting from Thompson! RSVP below the heart at the end of this post.

For more information or to pick up your passport and game pieces, please visit your local Sobeys Store.

Kath’s quote:  “You’re off to Great Places!
Today is your day!
Your mountain is waiting,
So… get on your way!”
― Dr. Seuss

Love-that is all.

All of you, my lovely readers know that I am especially ga ga over two world cuisines-Italian and Mexican.  I have exciting news to share with you about Italy but unfortunately, you are going to have to wait just a wee bit longer.  As far as Mexican cuisine is concerned, when the Winnipeg entourage was recently on Isla Mujeres, Jackie, Sister #3 and I traveled to Puerto Moreles for the day to attend The Little Mexican Cooking School.  I am bursting with all the nuggets of info that we are going to share with you.  Sister #3 and I are going to collaborate on at least three posts: 1) chocolate 2) chilies and 3) beverages.  We actually learned how to make chocolate from a raw cocoa bean and “stone” soup.  The day was absolutely fascinating and delicious.

The world of taste is such an enormous place.  We learned that there are seven culinary regions of Mexico and even though we were in the region of the Maya, we studied about the foods native to Oaxaca.  There are another seven moles from different areas of the state of Oaxaca.  Omgosh-there is so much in this world to learn and see and taste!

I have been pinning my Isla Mujeres pics for the last couple of weeks but I would love to one day travel to other culinary regions of Mexico including Oaxaca and so I am creating a new pin board of my “Dream Destination”.

In the mean time, memories of the wonderful day that we spent under the guidance of handsome and talented Chef Christobal will be pinned to my new board.

In celebration of spring and Mexico and the tastes of the world, I (along with the rest of the Sobeys Love Food Ambassadors) am announcing a special contest.  Anyone who creates a pinboard, tagging their repins with #LoveSobeys, is entered to win one of 12 $100. Sobey’s gift cards.  You will be able to use the cards for delicious Mexican items like Roasted Tomato Chipolte Salsa, Black Bean and Corn Salsa, Salsa Verde and Extra Hot Cayenne Pepper Sauce.  D and I are heading to Sobey’s right now to pick up some Friday night supper because it has been to long without the taste of Mexico.

Kath’s quote: “Some people like to paint pictures, or do gardening, or build a boat in the basement. Other people get a tremendous pleasure out of the kitchen, because cooking is just as creative and imaginative an activity as drawing, or wood carving, or music.” -Julia Child

Love-that is all.

On Day 5, I did something I rarely do when I am vacationing on Isla: I voluntarily left the island.  Jackie, Sister #3 and I headed to Puerto Moreles to the Little Mexican Cooking School.  Sister #3 and I plan on collaborating on a number of posts about our cooking adventure, so I am going to skip right over the day at this time.  That evening, I didn’t even venture out for dinner as we were still too stuffed from eating the results of our classes.  I stayed in that evening and ate a peanut butter and banana sandwich (I didn’t photograph this).

On Day 6, the inclement weather that began the day before, continued.  We hung around our hotel and Sister #3 picked up Rotisserie Chicken for our lunch which we ate around our little plunge pool with the gang.  I did do a wee little wander around Centro.

That evening, we braved the elements and ventured to El Veradero.

At our first table, the wind was whipping us all about but the expertly-made mojitoes occupied us until the staff sympathized with our suffering and moved us to a more sheltered table, where we had a wonderful dinner.

After all the years that I have heard about this place that is tucked away and right on the water, I felt right at home. I loved everything about it, but especially the rustic décor.

Our server pulled in the English expertise of an interpreter.  When we chatted with her later she indicated that she helps out in order to enhance her English skills.  What a resourceful woman and a win/win situation for us all.  There was a bit of a debate about who would get the last two orders of the fish special.  She carefully steered us to the shrimp which were prepared with the same topping.

There was a bit of a surprise later when the bill came to see how much more expensive the shrimp was than the fish (if she knew this too-then she is VERY good at what she does).

Sister #2 and Paula ordered the garlic shrimp and there were oohhs and aahhs coming from their end of the table.

I felt like I had struck it rich when my shrimp ceviche arrived (with a side of fabulous papas fritas). The flesh of the shrimp was still plump and firm and there was just the right amount of lime.  Even though there was way more shrimp in my dish than the other dinners, mine was priced more affordably.

Kath’s quote:  “When the waitress puts the dinner on the table the old men look at the dinner. The young men look at the waitress.“-Gelett Burgess

Love-that is all.