Food Musings

A Winnipeg blog about the joy of preparing food for loved ones and the shared joy that travel & dining brings to life.

Rhombus Guys Brewing Co.-Grand Forks, ND

June9

In the afternoon when we planned on an evening’s visit to Rhombus Guys Brewing, we perused the on line menu and decided that we would try Scotch-eggs that evening. But when we arrived at the locale (a beautifully restored heritage building), there were lots of lighter choices on the menu. Since we started the day at Darcy’s and stopped for Happy Hour and an appetizer platter at Ground Round, we thought maybe we should get some vegetables into our tummies.

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Since we were at a brewery, we started with….beer of course!

There were four of us and we comfortably decided upon each pair sharing the cobb salad and grilled cheese sandwiches. Did you know that?:

In the late 1930s, LA’s famous Brown Derby restaurant owner Bob Cobb went to fix a late night snack for Sid Grauman, the owner of Grauman’s Chinese Theater. He took leftovers from the refrigerator and chopped them up finely because Grauman was suffering from a toothache. Grauman loved the salad so much that Cobb added it to the menu.

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The salad was not made precisely as they were in the 1930s but had lovely modern touches like rehydrated sun-dried tomatoes.

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The sandwich was fine enough. I selected it because of the promised inclusion of bacon jam. The taste which I am familiar with and love, was not prevalent but as I say, it was a pretty good grilled sandwich.

We were tempted by dessert but decided instead to head to Mike’s where the girls enjoyed ice cream as we parked our car near the river.

The best part of all of this were the lovely chats that we got to have together. Life is so busy that even with a family as close as ours is, time to visit is precious indeed.

Kath’s quote: “I smile because you are my sister. I laugh because you can’t do anything about it.”-Unknown

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Love never fails.

 

 

Darcy’s Grand Forks, ND

June8

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On a recent jaunt to Grand Forks, ND for a sisters’ weekend some helpful restaurant tips from a Winnipeg blogger friend.

We knew that our hotel provided a continental breakfast, so we checked it out before heading over to Darcy’s for breakfast. The items that we were looking forward to were bagels and cream cheese or peanut butter or perhaps a bran muffin. When there were no of these style of items available we decided on just coffee. Unfortunately the coffee wasn’t particularly good either. So the good news is that we were hungry when we arrived at Darcy’s and that was opportune as the portions were enormous.

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My SIL ordered an omelet, pumpernickel toast and hash browns (I ate most of her has browns). I chose a poached egg, grilled ham and cinnamon brioche French toast. Both dishes were excellent.

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But the reason we came was for the caramel rolls-a tall yeasty cinnamon bun drenched in caramel. It wasn’t a breakfast add on in my mind…it was dessert!

Kath’s quote: “There’s no war going on between blondes and brunettes…It’s between girls who can eat cinnamon rolls without gaining weight and me”.-unknown

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Love never fails.

 

 

 

The Blue Moose-Grand Forks, ND

June6

After leaving Winnipeg at approximately 3:30 in the afternoon, winding through Friday night traffic and then taking the I29 to our destination hotel, we were hungry. It was a gorgeous evening and even though a storm was gathering, we wanted to dine el fresco.

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A Winnipeg blogger friend had recommended the Blue Moose and even though we had all been there before, the gang was eager to go.

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After ordering their special of Long Island Ice Tea and icy cold beer, we were ready to tuck in. We knew that they served little plates and decided to share a number of them between the four of us.

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Sister #2 makes excellent tequila chicken and when this arrived at the table, we didn’t know what it was. The Blue Moose’s decision to top the casserole with cheese was kind of unnecessary as the flavours of the chicken and the sauce should be able to stand on their own. Perhaps the cheese was to disguise the fact that there were only two pieces of chicken in the casserole.

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The skirt steak uniquely rubbed with coffee was delicious.

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Calamari rings were good with a light but appropriately salty coating.

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We were surprised that the lettuce wraps were not heartier but as I look at the picture here, I think that I missed out on the chicken this time.

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Stuffed mushrooms were very good.

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We unanimously decided that the wall-eye fingers were our favourite taste. We know this fish as pickerel up here. Whatever is the correct term, this recipe let the lovely and sparkly taste of the fish shine through.

We had already done some shopping and had a plan for a very full next day so we didn’t linger long.

Kath’s quote: “Short story collections are the literary equivalent of canapés, tapas and mezze in the world of gastronomy: Delightful assortments of tasty morsels to whet the reader’s appetite.”  ― Alex Morritt

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Love never fails.

 

 

Congratulations Nicolino Cucina Italiana

June5

We were invited to a special party recently at Nicolino’s. The occasion was their “impossible to believe” 30th Anniversary. We spotted a number of on air media types, some suppliers and persons who I imagined were regular customers. I was never really certain why we received an invitation, but I don’t look a gift horse in the mouth.

We do know that we are of the same mind set as Nic of Nicolino’s. This is what he states on his website:

We are in love with high quality food and drink. We care about the people who produce the food, and the places it comes from. We have dedicated our lives to promoting a real understanding of high-quality food and drink. We know that by ensuring we create and offer the best quality products, we improve the lives of our family and yours.

We’ve enjoyed over 25 years of business in Winnipeg, MB taking the traditions and recipes from our home town in Muro Lucano, Italy and bringing the “family style Italian dinner setting” to Winnipeg, MB. We know that Food tastes better when you eat with your family, and we consider all of our staff and customers famiglia.

We were certainly impressed with his family of staff. They tripped over each other trying to serve and make you feel appreciated and welcomed.

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You can taste the love that he refers to in the food. Last evening there were hot out of the oven, crunchy crust pizza that were in circulation. We ate our fair share and remarked about the spritely sauce and exacting use of cheese.

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We LOVED the selection of meats and cheeses

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but especially the truffle salami and truffle cheese. I went so far as to snatch one last wedge of that cheese and we headed out the door. So too the ravioli that we sampled in little bowls.

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We watched with fascination as the chef poured ample amounts of brandy into an enormous hollowed wheel of what we expected was Grana Padano.

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He then ignited the liquor and poured the ravioli into the cheese made gooey by the flame. The results were sensational and if we were not polite Canadians, I may have gone up to the Chef’s table over and over again.

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We washed it al down with a lovely rose poured by old friend Andre Lambert.

In the end, it should not be a surprize that Nic has been in business some thirty years. With his passion for food and his guests, he has a winning philosophy.

Kath’s quote: “If your mother cooks Italian food, why should you go to a restaurant?”- Martin Scorsese

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Love never fails.

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Curry Dinner

June2

While writing this post, I have really been thinking a lot about my own premise i.e. food=love. I think that a really integral aspect of this statement is “time”.  Time is so precious that when someone very intentionally sets aside time to plan, shop and prepare a meal for someone, it is a substantial investment of themselves towards another .

Recently we were invited to a friend’s home for a curry dinner. These folks have been cooking curry for a long time and knew that D and I were unschooled in the essence of curry cuisine.

When we arrived there were the most amazing aromas wafting from the kitchen. With little pre-amble we sat down to a veritable feast.

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This Tandoori Chicken was deliciously spicy. I removed the skin where the intensity originated and experienced a more subtle flesh. Typically Tandoori chicken is marinated in yoghurt (which increases the tenderness) and spices and then baked in a tandoor oven. I am quite sure that the latter was skipped but the resulting dish was equally fine.

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The Spicy Shrimp in Coconut Milk was my favourite dish. I could have helped myself to a bowl of rice, ladled this sauce over top and been quite content. Somehow the shrimp remained firm and meaty in spite of swimming in the sauce.

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Being a lover of potatoes, any potatoes, I was over the moon with the Bombay Aloo enhanced by two of my other fav foods: garlic and cilantro!

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The delicate and ribbony Basmati rice was spiced with tumeric and pumpkin seeds.

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A lovely way to offset the spice was with a cool and cleansing Raita dip made with yoghurt and cucumber.

Of course we had Naan bread and various pickles to scoop up and enhance the tastes.

Kath’s quote: “Since you cannot do good to all, you are to pay special attention to those who, by the accidents of time, or place, or circumstances, are brought into closer connection with you“.-St. Augustine of Hippo

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Love never fails.

 

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