Food Musings

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

Bistro Dansk

January13

Bistro Dansk has been on my “must visit again” list ever since I saw them featured on the Canadian TV show “You Gotta Eat Here”.  On this evening, I picked up Boo who lives in the neighbourhood and we nestled into to this cozy little spot.  Seafood chowder was on special, so we decided to share a large bowl and then split an entrée.

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Oh my, the chowder was silky and full of tender potatoes as well as succulent seafood.  There was a lovely herb that I could not identify.  When I asked our server what the secret ingredient was, she replied: “love”.  The chowder was delivered with two spoons so we met in the middle of an almost empty bowl and then lapped up the remainder with a piece of freshly baked baguette.

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Our server, cleared our table for two with the caution: “are you ready for a whole lot more food, because your Chicken Schnitzel is on its way?”  We answered enthusiastically and then were amazed by the size of the platter of food that was set down in front of us.  There were four pieces of schnitzel and a huge mound of sweet and sour cabbage and “O’Brien” potatoes.  One filet of chicken was enough for each of us as we enjoyed each bite with the unusual cabbage and the delectable potatoes.  Perhaps “love” was an ingredient in these too, but our server also disclosed that “O’Brien Potatoes” are prepared with onions, mushrooms and red peppers.  After eating our fill, I still had enough to bring home in a takeout container for both D and I to have for our lunch the next day.  Now that’s a hefty portion!

Boo encouraged me to return for lunch really soon and try the Palachinkas which are homemade crepes characteristic of Eastern Europe.  I understand that the Vocadlo’s who own the Bistro are not Danish, but Czech.  I recognize Chef Paul’s style as my sweet Daddy was also from the Czech Republic.

Bistro Dansk on Urbanspoon

Kath’s quote: “After eating, an epicure gives a thin smile of satisfaction; a gastronome, burping into his napkin, praises the food in a magazine; a gourmet, repressing his burp, criticizes the food in the same magazine; a gourmand belches happily and tells everybody where he ate; …”-William Safire

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Thanks for the image of love Jackie….

Live simply, laugh often, love deeply.

Sweet & Sour Cranberries & Pork Tenderloin

January12

Once a month I cook for a special gang. Plates are balanced on laps as the dining room is occupied by 8-9 toddlers, as well as D, me and Sister #3. I try to choose nutritious recipes that would appeal to both parents and their children. I will also admit, I try to use left overs or meat that has already been defrosted and perhaps used for another occasion. Such was the case after our recent New Year’s fondue.  I had three whole tenderloin in the fridge as well as homemade cranberry sauce that was left over from a Christmas together.  Put them together and voila-you get this twist on sweet and sour pork which is often served with pineapple chunks. I would have done the same but D had been taken pre-cut pineapple (also left over from our fondue dessert) with him for lunch so I had less to work with than I thought. That was when I discovered the cranberries.

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Sweet & Sour Cranberries & Pork Tenderloin
Author: 
Recipe type: Main
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 12+
 
I made a huge batch, you could probably divide the ingredients by ⅔rds for a meal to serve 4.
Ingredients
  • 1½ c cranberry sauce
  • 14 oz pineapple juice (apple would work too)
  • glugs of canola oil
  • 3 pork tenderloins, thinly sliced
  • 3 large onions, mined (in the food processor)
  • 6-9 cloves of garlic, minced as above
  • 1 small can of tomato paste
  • 3 large carrots, thinly sliced (food processor again)
  • 3 stalks of celery, thinly sliced as above
  • 1 red pepper, chopped
  • 1 yellow pepper, chopped
  • 1 orange pepper, chopped
  • ¾ brown sugar
  • ¾ c vegetable broth
  • ¾ c apple cider vinegar
  • 3 T soy sauce
  • 6 T cornstarch
  • 9 T cold water
Instructions
  1. Get out your biggest crockpot and turn onto low.
  2. In a wok, heat a glug of oil over high heat.
  3. Brown pork in batches.
  4. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to slow cooker.
  5. Add more oil as necessary and onion, garlic and tomato paste.
  6. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring regularly.
  7. Stir in pineapple juice, scraping up brown bits from the bottom of the pan.
  8. Pour over the pork.
  9. Stir in cranberry sauce, carrots, celery, peppers, brown sugar, broth, vinegar and soy sauce.
  10. Cover & cook on low for 6-8 hours.
  11. In a small bowl combine cornstarch and water.
  12. Stir into slow cooker.
  13. Cover and cook on high about 20 minutes.
  14. Serve with brown rice.

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Kath’s quote: “Things sweet to taste prove in digestion sour.”-William Shakespeare

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Live simply, laugh often, love deeply.

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P.E.I. Shellfish Festival

January9

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We are a hardy crew in Winnipeg and this is one way that we cope. About the middle of January, we head away for sunny beaches and if we cannot, we at least dream about them. Another way is to ditch the winter stews and prepare food that is typically enjoyed in the summer time.  I have a gorgeous cookbook entitled “flavours of PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND a culinary journey” by Jeff McCourt, Allan Williams and Austin Clement. The over sized photos are expertly taken and breath-taking. To really sweep you away, imagine this scenario as described in the cookbook, taking place on one of those sandy beaches…..

Assemble a small charcoal barbeque  and start the coals burning. Let them burn for about 15 minutes then rake them to distribute them evenly. Cover the bottom of a large roasting pan with seaweed, making a layer about 2 inches thick. On top of this arrange the clams and mussels. Put in the onions, garlic and ginger and then cover them with a 2 inch layer of seaweed. Load on the potatoes, corn and hotdogs or sausages. Pour half of the beer over everything and cover with a clean, damp potato sack (or lid). Place this on the barbeque and begin steaming.

Once the steam starts, let everything cook for 1 hour. Add some beer if steam is escaping and add more charcoal if the fire degrades.

Serve family-style (that is, letting everyone help themselves) with melted butter and lemon.

Can’t you just feel the heat from the fire, smell the yeasty steam escaping the roaster, hear the fire snapping and taste an ice cold beer while you await your feast to cook?  Of course, the seaweed would have to be replaced with tinfoil on the prairies but other than that, there is nothing stopping you from enjoying fresh P.E.I. seafood next summer on the beaches of Lake Winnipeg. If you don’t care to wait, you could place your roster in the oven or dig out the barbeque and place the roster in there.

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Our extended family celebrate each Labour Day weekend with a dinner on the beach. The menu is typically comprised of local delicacies like chicken, veggie kabobs and the like. The fun is in the cooking process itself and the time spent together in anticipation of our upcoming meal. When the sunsets, we sometimes wash our dishes in the lake and then head back to our beach house for a round of crib or a televised football game.

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But we also dream of eating authentic clambake again, having done so years ago on Cape Cod, Massachusetts. With the current state of the Canadian dollar a more realistic alternate to the Cape would be the shores of PEI- a journey that we would love to make as we have only ventured to Nova Scotia and never set eyes on the other maritime provinces.

The good folks at WOW Hospitality must be dreaming of summer too, because they have decided to host the first PEI Seafood Festival right smack in the middle of winter. See here for everything you need to know:

Members of the Prince Edward Island seafood Community will be descending on Winnipeg January 16th, 17th and 18th with their products for the first ever PEI Seafood Festival. Take in one event, two events or all the events and enjoy the feel of PEI.

Friday, January 16th
Gala Dinner – 6pm at the Pavilion Centre in the Pavilion in Assiniboine Park
Tickets are $250.00 with net proceeds going to SOS (Share our Strength), a charity that works to alleviate and prevent hunger and poverty in our city including a program near and dear to my heart: St. Aidan’s Christian School in Winnipeg’s North End.
Tickets available by calling 204-942-1090 ext 230

Saturday, January 17th
9am Black Box Competition
Come out an watch top Winnipeg Chefs compete in the Black Box Competition. What will they creative with the products they are given in their box?
Yours truly is a judge.
Tickets: $25.00 Available by calling 204-942-1090 ext 230

1pm Oyster Schucking Championship – The Forks Centre Court
A competition to find the best Oyster Schucker in Manitoba.
Winner will represent Manitoba at the Canadian championship.

6pm East Coast Kitchen Party – 295 York
A Kitchen Party in East Coast style.
Enjoy sampling the best of PEI at different food stations while listening to East Coast Entertainment, Watch the Best Caesar Competition and meet members of the PEI shellfish Industry.
Tickets $40.00 and are available at any WOW Restaurant or by calling 204-942-1090 ext 230

Sunday, January 18th
1pm Best Mussel Competition – 295 York
Come Out and Watch Top Manitoba Chefs compete in the Manitoba Best Mussel Dish
No charge

3PM Best Seafood Chowder Competition – 295 York
No Charge

6pm Champagne & Oyster Tasting – 529 Wellington
Tickets are $100.00 and are available by calling 204-949-1090 ext 230

Kath’s quote: “We found some large clams…which the storm had torn up from the bottom, and cast ashore. I selected one of the largest, about six inches in length, and carried it. along…..We took our nooning under a sand-hill, covered with beach grass…I kindled a fire with a match and some paper, and cooked my clam on the embers for my dinner…..Though it was very tough, I found it sweet and savory, and ate the whole with a relish. Indeed, with the addition of a cracker or two, it would have been a bountiful dinner.”-‘Cape Cod’ Henry David Thoreau

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Live simply, laugh often, love deeply.

 

Eating Resolutions

January8

Our last couple of chocolates are waiting to be consumed and then, we will be holiday-treat free. It has been a lengthy process as D’s Mom gave us an entire box of cookies and fudge and another of Reed’s candy (a family tradition). Boo’s chocolate cherries are in the fridge, stashed away for a very, very special time. D has the sweet tooth in our house which he is willing to offset by waking at 5:15 am to head for the gym. Me, not so much….

On the other hand, I have a salty tooth. I get a craving whenever we sit down to watch a Jet’s game or one of our favourite Netflix TV series. Typically, a zip loc of spicy, homemade “nuts and bolts” is waiting for me in the freezer but with the busyness of the holiday season, I have not had the opportunity to muster up a batch.

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Thank heaven for popcorn! We air-pop ours now that we know that the additives in micro-wave popcorn are a no-no. This way we can control the amount of fat and salt that we are consuming. But sometimes the Jet’s game is too close or we are too wrapped in in the villainy of Frank and Clare, to want to get the popper out. That is when it is nice to have a bagged snack at the ready.

Popcorn Indiana recently sent me two of their products to sample. Their Original Movie Theater (their spelling, not mine) tastes just like the big screen version  but with two added bonuses 1) it does not cost $20 including that extra large soft drink and skittles that you don’t even want and 2) it is made with the simplest of ingredients: popcorn, canola oil, clarified butter and salt. There are even instructions on the back of the bag as to how to heat it up (in the mic) if you so desire. I emptied the bag in a couple of sittings. One of my big thrills now that we are empty nesters and D is not always home for supper, is eating popcorn with a glass of wine as my meal, making me feel mischievous and naughty.

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In keeping with our resolutions for the new year, Popcorn Indiana also produces a “fit” version. On New Year’s day when D and I watched a marathon of “Newsroom” it was our sustenance. As the promo material indicates:

The skinny on fit: All the taste and crunch you crave, nothing artificial and…here’s the best part…only 40 calories or less per cup. All the taste without the guilt trip.

The delectable treat is available at Loblaw’s (assuming this means Superstore in Winnipeg), Sobey’s and Shoppers Drug Mart. We can’t wait to try the olive & black pepper and the parmesan & rosemary versions.

Kath’s quote: “Have you ever pondered the miracle of popcorn? It starts out as a tiny, little, compact kernel with magic trapped inside that when agitated, bursts to create something marvelously desirable. It’s sort of like those tiny, little thoughts trapped inside an author’s head that―in an excited explosion of words―suddenly become a captivating fairytale!” ― Richelle E. Goodrich

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Live simply, laugh often, love deeply.

 

My 1,000th Blog Post

January7

Whenever a blog post is created, it is numbered and so I knew that this milestone has been coming for a couple of months. I wanted this post to be monumental in some way.  I have created more than one draft and then known that it was not what I wanted to say. In the end, it all comes down to this: love. Hokey, I know. But “love” is what I want to share and celebrate on this frigid day. In no particular order, this is what I love:

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I love all of my in-laws.

I love to read. I love The Number One Ladies Detective Agency, The Mitford Books, everything by Marlena de Blassi, culinary fiction, anything about Mexico, Italy and France.

I love to curl up and watch TV with D: the Jets, Survivor, Amazing Race and Amazing Race Canada, Suits, Newsroom, Downton Abbey, Call the Midwife, Homeland, House of Cards and House Hunters International (actually I watch this last one after D has instantly fallen asleep).

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I love artichokes, eggplant, potatoes, crusty bread, pork chops, lime, cilantro, truffles and  feta cheese.

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I love the people (friends) that I work for and with.

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I love to travel and am looking forward to one day seeing Prague, the Isle of Man, Tuscany, Spain and returning to Italy, Greece, Israel and France.

I love my husband. After 30 years, I still get excited to know that he is on his way home from work. He kisses me every morning as he gets out of bed even when I am still asleep and he kisses me each night before he instantly falls asleep. He writes me love notes and works diligently so that I know that I am cherished.

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I love my daughter and son-in-law and their parents and their siblings.

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I love the Wee One. Oh. how I love her! I have known what fierce love is like before but the love of a grandchildren is a wonderful mystery that I am still coming to understand.

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I love my Mom. I love her sense of humour. I love the pleasure that food gives her. I love her pride and passion for her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren.

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I love my sisters. They are and always have been, my best friends. They know everything about me-warts and all. They have helped us raise our family, traveled with me and share my passion for food.

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I love my brothers and miss the one we lost on earth, each and every day.

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I love that my siblings all still live in the same city and that their children and grandchildren live here too (with one exception but I love her just as intensely). I love that we want to be together at Lester Beach or on Isla Mujeres.

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I love Lester Beach. I love collecting heart shaped stones on the beach, sipping wine whilst watching the sun set, the communal bonfires, happy hours, dinners shared, eating freshly caught pickerel, walking in the woods, riding my turquoise bike, enormous breakfasts shared on the deck, the crackling fire in the woodstove and the cooling breezes which blow across our bed.

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I love Isla Mujeres. I love that it is a single plane ride away and that I can leave in the early morning and be there by lunch time. I love watching the sunrise over the water from my bed or wrapping up in a pareo, grabbing a cup of coffee and sitting to wait for its appearance. I love the locals and the fellow travelers that I have met there. I love a particular Mexican family that we have befriended. I love that they invite us to their home. I love Isla’s food! I love escaping to the warmth. I love collecting beach glass and the crashing waves. I love that the constellations look different there. I love the familiarity of being on the little island; of knowing where to fetch the staples for our temporary kitchen, which market stall has the best avocadoes and limes, where to buy the cheapest cervesas, Kahlua and rum. I love the turquoise sea.

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In fact, I love everything turquoise.

I love my five Godchildren.

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I love my bestie M, who does not live in Winnipeg but who whenever I speak to her or see her, feels like she is still just down the block.

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I love the Media Mavens-a group of woman, some of whom I have worked with for over 20 years.

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I love my foodie friends, in Manitoba, throughout Canada and the US.

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I love my church and my church family. I love the twenty year history that we have shared together, experiencing each other’s victories and defeats.

I love my neighbours. We watch out for each other and share our joys and tough times.

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I love my neighbourhood. I love the exceptional restaurants all within walking distance: Fusion Grill, Saucer’s Café, Kudara, Inferno’s, Pizzeria Gusto, Bonfire Bistro, Chew, Enoteca, Mona Lisa, Bernstein’s Deli.

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I love my city. I love the rivers and the parks and trails that lie adjacent to them. I love walking over the Provencher St. bridge, past the Canadian Human Rights Museum and into St. Boniface to hear French spoken and eat its amazing food.

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I love our little house. It is not luxurious, it is not pristine, it is not new. But it is cozy, comfortable, warm and well located. There is lots of room in the yard to host summer gatherings, tend to my perennial garden and have a little pond.

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I love this country. I love our gentleness, dignity, loyalty, diversity and how great we play hockey.

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I love our children. I love that they love to be with us. I love that they all live within 10 minutes of us. I could fill an entire blog post with all things I love about them but I will leave that for another day.

One thousand words in this 1000th post. Thank you for reading and your continued support.

Love-that is all.

 

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