Food Musings

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

Happy Hour Business

November21

Baked Wonton Appetizers
Author: 
Recipe type: Appetizer
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
 
Filled with your choice of several favourite fillings and flavours, these super easy to make wonton cups, make almost instant and delicious appetizers. So handy for holiday entertaining.
Ingredients
  • 3¼ inch square wonton wrappers
Instructions
  1. Gently push the individual wonton sheets into a mini muffin tin to form little cups (they look like flowers).
  2. Bake at 350 degrees for 6-8 minutes until crisp and lightly golden brown.
  3. Cool.
  4. Stuff with your favourite filling options (below).
  5. Bake again for 6-8 minutes.
  6. Eat and enjoy.
  7. Or freeze in an airtight container to enjoy later. Thaw for a few minutes before following the same heating instructions.
  8. Spicy Italian: Saute hot or mild Italian sausage (casings removed) and break into bits. Combine with finely diced green onion, garlic, green and/or red peppers, mushrooms, celery, oregano and basil. Add shredded mozzarella and/or Parmesan cheese. Mix and stuff. Another variation is to mix in a bit of tomato sauce.
  9. Lobster and Avocado: Combine 1 finely diced avocado with ¼ c sour cream or cream cheese, a squirt of lemon juice, pinch of s & p, ¼ t cumin and chilli powder, ¼ lb. lobster meat (or cooked shrimp or crab), 1 t grated lemon zest and fresh cilantro for garnish. Mix all ingredients together well. Stuff cups and serve cold. Fills about 24 cups.
  10. Teriyaki Chicken: Dice up leftover chicken or turkey. Mix with freshly chopped ginger, green onion, jalapeno, snap peas, finely diced celery and/or carrots or bean sprouts and some cream cheese. Kick it up with hoisin, spicy teriyaki and/or peanut or Asian chili sauce.
  11. Empanadas: Saute lean or extra lean ground beef with garlic, onion, diced peppers. Mix with salsa, chili powder, cumin or taco seasoning, and sliced green olives. Allow to cool. Stuff and heat.
  12. Crab Rangoon: Mix together 8 oz. cooked crab meat or canned crab meat (drained and flaked), about 6 oz. cream cheese, 1 t finely diced red or green onion, ½ t Worcestershire sauce, ½ t soy sauce or Tiger Sauce, s & p and 1 clove of garlic finely diced. Stuff and heat.
  13. Korean Beef or Pork: Saute garlic, diced peppers, fresh ginger root with ground beef or pork until cooked, about 8-10 minutes. Add a shot of soy sauce, hoisin sauce, Dragon sauce, and/or Asian chili sauce and 1 t toasted sesame oil. You can also add/mix with chopped green onion, shredded carrot or cucumber, cilantro or mint.
  14. Salmon: using left over baked or grilled salmon, break it up and mix with finely diced celery, green onions, green or red peppers, fresh cilantro or parsley, a shot of Miracle Whip or Wasabi mayo and cream cheese. Mix well and stuff. You can reheat or serve cold.
  15. Pure Pork: Thaw tube of frozen sausage meat. Saute. Drain. Mix with chopped green onion, peppers, seasonings, ½ c peppercorn ranch dressing and shredded cheddar cheese. Stuff and bake for about 8 minutes.

One of my business associates lives on what my family has always called the Lockport Road-north Henderson Hwy.  I recently had an evening event in Selkirk, so stopping in at his home on the way was a perfect opportunity.  As opposed to meeting in what he jokingly calls “the world headquarters”, that is to say the office in his basement, we met at his dining room table because it was “Happy Hour”.  He poured us both a cocktail and then he briefed me on a new client.  But true to form, he also had a delectable treat warming in the oven (he even had the recipe printed out for me to take with me).

Kath’s quote: “Too much work, and no vacation,
Deserves at least a small libation.
So hail! my friends, and raise your glasses;
Work’s the curse of the drinking classes.”

-Oscar Wilde

Love-that is all.

posted under Appetizers | 1 Comment »

Chef Mary Jane Feeke of Benjamin’s

November20

The first time that I met Chef Mary Jane was a couple of years ago when I was fortunate to be invited to an Olympic Culinary Team Dinner.  At that meeting she was up to her eye balls in plates and trays in the vast kitchen.  I assessed in moments that MJ was a “behind the scenes” style of chef who ensures that every detail was taken care of.  So too, when D and I arrived at Benjamin’s in Selkirk last evening, she was at the door to greet us and ensure that we knew that the path through the courtyard might have some slippery spots.

Inside, and down a flight of stairs, I was instantly in love with their new space.  110 year old stone and brick walls of Selkirk’s former bank have been exposed and brought back to luster.  Every nook of the wide open area has a special charm but we were particularly enthralled with a glass room where Mary Jane envisages Chef’s Tables and Dinner Clubs.  The space is still “a work in progress” and we had been invited for a special preview.

We started with nibbles of a mushroom tart kissed with the sweetness of birch syrup; a soft turnover of brie that was accompanied by Manitoba apples but not just any local apples, they were her own Grandpa’s apples and a Saskatoon topped chicken brioche.

Other small plates were served over the course of the evening including a barley risotto

and a Lefsa (potato pancake) that was wrapped around smoked salmon, cream cheese, and asparagus and placed upon pumpkin puree.  This struck a special cord for D and I as Lefsa is a Scandinavian dish that his Mom prepares every year for Christmas dinner.  D’s family enjoys them buttered and rolled with sugar instead of bread, but now that Chef Feeke has demonstrated other options, we are excited to experiment.

Thin slices of succulent roast pork came next with a red and green pepper couscous and stuffed white baby turnips.

We got to participate in the making of our salads with a demonstration in molecular gastronome.  We observed that when a thick dressing concocted of pureed rhubarb and cherries was plunged into an agar solution, a ball of dressing was formed.  We also dropped a balsamic reduction by eye-droppers into a cold canola oil which produced tiny little balls of dressing.  When both these items were placed on top of mixed greens the tastes were a surprizing delight.

Our final tastes of the evening were a variety of cheeses, petite fours

and luscious cupcakes contributed by another guest-Constance Popp.

The conversation while courses were served was absolutely enlightening but I will save that chapter for another day.

Benjamins gourmet foods on Urbanspoon

Kath’s quote: “Anybody can make you enjoy the first bite of a dish, but only a real chef can make you enjoy the last.”-Francois Minot

Love-that is all.

The Best of Bridge Ladies

November19

Do you know how things in your life sometimes create a circle in a very serendipitous fashion? I am experiencing one of those “full circle” times right now. As a Sobey’s blogger I have prepared a post for their Better Food Lovers Blog site about last holiday season when we “faked” Christmas morning.  The two recipes that I made for our Christmas brunch were from The Best of Bridge series: Christmas Morning Wife-Saver which I have renamed “Domestic Partner-Saver” and Land of Nod Cinnamon buns.

I have to keep my beloved collection of the Best of Bridge Cookbooks in boxes made to hold periodic files because there are worn and torn.  Included in my collection are a couple of “Best Of” compilations that I pack when I am heading up to lake country for a month.  So I literally can’t live without them.

When I look back at the B of B recipes, I see how they evolved with my cooking and lifestyle (or perhaps it was the other way around).  As a newlywed and new Mom, I relished the opportunity to mix a half dozen ingredients from my pantry (often one of them was cream of mushroom soup) and “voila”, have the concoction come out absolutely delicious every time.  As the years went by and I wanted to lighten up our meals and use less processed ingredients, the B of B ladies seem to be focused on the same concerns and they began rewriting recipes and incorporating more and more ingredients from my refrigerator rather than my larder.

In the midst of this time, I noticed too, that on the front fly leaf where the Bridge ladies always had their group pictures, that one of their friends was missing.  This struck me more deeply than you can imagine; wondering about the circumstances surrounding what I had assumed was a passing but imagining how the ladies would have rallied round their friend, that family and each other with gifts of food= love.

My readers know about fanaticism about artichokes and that was first fostered by one of the early B of B recipes: Artichoke Nibblers.  Every year about this time, I will make up a huge batch and then wrap and freeze them for last minute guests, to take as hostess gifts and to serve every Christmas eve when we have friends over for a glass of wine after church.

Last week, I got a call from a publicist about a couple of food-styling assignments and sure enough, one was for the cookbook tour of a new Best of Bridge book.  The ladies have teamed up with Sally Vaughan-Johnston to create The Best of Bridge Slow Cooker Cookbook which includes a number of old favourites.  My little crock pot is as old as our marriage, (it is missing its only knob) and sits in our furnace room where excess appliances are stored if not in regular use.  But it has been pulled out many times recently, not only because I (and many other cooks) have busy lives, but because we realize that the slow cooking method (think pulled pork) is an exceptional way to use a “lesser” cut of meat and yet provide a delicious and nutritious meal.  And as I have just posted recently, even though I do not need the convenience of the slow-cooker to the same extent, because I work from an office in my home, I still love to have the aromas wafting through the house now that winter is upon us.

I received my advance copy of the cookbook and I see on the back cover that somehow I missed the publication of “Bravo” and “Fanfare” Bridge Titles.  Now I know what I will be asking for on my Christmas list.

I have not tried any of the slow cooker recipes first hand but that will occur in the days to come and I will share my successes.  In the mean time, I am off to purchase a couple of new slow cookers.  The $20. gift that I received 29 years ago deserves a quiet retirement and I plan on taking her out to the kitchen at the beach house.

Kath’s quote (my love of quotes originally came for the B of B, where every recipe has a quote on the bottom of the page):

All my life’s a circle

Sunrise and sundown.

Moon rolls through the night time

Til the daybreak comes around.

All my life’s a circle

But I can’t tell you why

Seasons spin around again

The years keep rollin by.

 

It seems like I’ve been here before

I can’t remember when.

But I’ve got this funny feelin

That we’ll be together again.

No straight lines make up my life

And all my roads have bends

There’s no clear cut beginnings

And so far no dead ends.- Harry Chapin

Love -that is all.

 

posted under Cookbooks | 7 Comments »

Santa Anna Pizzeria

November15

As I drove south on St. Mary’s Rd., I saw a number of restaurants that are either new (or new to me) and it occurred to me that we really do stay put in either our residential or workplace neighbourhoods.  I have been to Santa Anna Pizzeria & Bistro previously, but not because I was familiar with it, but as a result of being invited to lunch by a friend.

On this day, I arrived at about half past noon on a Tuesday and the place was hopping, with not an empty seat in the place.  As I surveyed the room, I saw mostly women and only one gentleman.  There was a large group of women in fact, and another assembling in the foyer.

I am ga-ga over seafood pizza, especially in countries where the seafood is freshly caught like Mexico and Italy.  The “Pacific” is topped with shrimp and fresh garlic which works very well together and then celery and sun-dried tomato are added.  The celery provides a fresh crispness and works hard to bring out the delicate flavour of the shrimp but the sun-dried tomatoes were a wee bit overpowering.  Next time I order it (and I will be), I will request that they go easy on the tomatoes.  I know that this will be easily accommodated because there is a list at the bottom of their pizza page with an abundance of fresh and somewhat exotic ingredients, to customize your personal pizza tastes.

The second choice was the “Tropicana” which was a unique twist on a ham and pineapple pizza with the inclusion of pulled pork, bacon, red onion, pineapple and hickory barbeque sauce.  I pulled off the jalapeños but I am sure many palates would enjoy the heat.

The pastas look stellar, even though I have not yet had a chance to sample them.  The black-walled dining room makes you forget that you are in a suburban strip mall.  The kitchen is open to the reception area which means that you can watch the fresh ingredients being assembled and can see the flames of the wood burning oven in the corner.  Service was very cordial and accommodating, in spite of how busy the restaurant was.

Santa Ana Pizzeria and Bistro on Urbanspoon

Kath’s quote: “Salt is the policeman of taste: it keeps the various flavors of a dish in order and restrains the stronger from tyrannizing over the weaker.”
Margaret Visser

Love-that is all.

Kid Friendly Dining in Winnipeg

November14

Here is an article that I was reminded of today.  I originally wrote it for Dish Magazine. 

What is your criteria for a child-friendly restaurant? The answer will be different depending upon the age of your child (or children).  My husband and I met in the restaurant business and we always knew that dining with our children would be a part of our lives

 Here are some guidelines that helped us over the years:

Since deep-fried options weren’t our first choice for our children, we became experts at scoping out the affordable places with grilled cheese sandwiches (Kay’s Deli, Star Grill), mac and cheese (Bistro 7 ¼, Saucer’s), falafels (Falafel Place-Caution: cash only) and spaghetti (Bellisimo, Old Spaghetti Factory).  Of course pizza was always a good option too (Mona Lisa, Santa Lucia).

Many kids, including our own, like to experiment and create food of their own and so ethnic restaurants where they can choose their own items to have grilled (Mongos Classic Grill, Palatal) or stuff into a fajita (Don Pedros, Los Chicos) are a great choice.  Vietnamese was often a favourite choice for our youngsters.  We taught them at home how to handle rice & lettuce wraps before we ventured out (Little Saigon, Viva).  Moo shi was another favourite and one order could feed three kids quite nicely (Spicy Noodle House).  Let your kids have messy fun.  Why not?  You don’t have to clean up after them for a change.

Dim sum always did the trick for us because the food could be delivered quickly (Dim Sum Garden, Kum Koon Garden).  We would often let the kid’s have a turn making a selection for all of us and the parade of carts circling around was fascinating to them. 

Buffets also empower kids when they can make their own decisions (East India Company, Buffet Square).  They are more likely to eat what you’ve paid for, if they decided to select it in the first place. 

Of course it is always a bonus, if a restaurant has crayons or an activity sheet (Kegs, Olive Garden).  We always considered it our responsibility though to engage our own kids so we would play games of 20 questions or eye spy.   

Milk, real fruit juices and smoothies (The Don, Smoothie Bar at the Forks) are always welcome items on a menu too.  If the restaurant is able to provide a top for a toddler’s glass, that is a bonus.  It is difficult for a child to grasp the concept of not “crying over spilt milk”.

High chairs and booster seats make sense as well as wide spaces in between tables where you can wheel in a stroller (Stella’s, The Grove).  The offer by a staff member to heat up a bottle is a nice gesture.  Disposable bibs and wet-naps are always a welcoming sight; as well as the knowledge that there is a change table or a family bathroom available.   

A bright, clean, cheerful, casual décor with easy to clean surfaces is always appreciated.  Lots of visual stimulation is a plus as well.  The Old Spaghetti Factory does a great job of providing this.  We used to take the kids for a stroll to see the fish in the huge fish tank that they once had.

If you haven’t done your research and you arrive at a place with low lights, a hushed atmosphere and worried looks on the hostess’s face, you’ve likely shown up at the wrong place.  A noisier atmosphere (Hermano’s), where you will not be stared down if your infant has a cry or your toddler a temper tantrum is a better choice.  Hey, even the best behaved child has a bad day.

One last point, it is always a good idea to choose a restaurant close to home (Jonnie’s Sticky Buns, Baraka Bakery).  Walking to and from will help work up an appetite.  A short drive time will ensure that you have not used up your child’s good behaviour on the car-ride over.  A spacious parking lot (Confusion Corner, Clay Oven) where you can load and unload the rinky-dinks safely, is a key point too.

Brooklyn’s Bistro named their restaurant after their daughter.  There are images of her on the wall and the food is excellent.  I would put them on my family friendly list, if I were you.  So too, Bistro 7 ¼ where they make whatever a child would like to eat.  One time, the staff even ran to Safeway for chicken to make chicken fingers). Kids love to watch Chef Alex cook and I have seen his son help out in the restaurant with his own pair of chef’s whites on. If you bring a baby around, Danielle will carry him/her while you eat.  They will also let kids draw on their chalkboard.  Now they know how to welcome a new generation of food lovers!

Kath’s quote: “Ask your child what he wants for dinner only if he’s buying.”-Fran Lebowitz

Love-that is all.

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