I have a wonderfully, diverse career.  There are times when I spend solitary time writing, other times when I am highly engaged in the media world, learning about new products and strategies and planning and executing them with the assistance of many media partners.  And then there are the times, which I enjoy the most, and that is when I get to teach.   My favourite students are adults, particularly adults who are learning a brand new social media skill or going back into a career world.

On one such day, I was asked to lead a team-building training session for a group of 55+ers.  At the end of this half day, I came away knowing about the hardships and joys and sorrows of being a part of a group of this kind.  And as I often conclude, I came away more educated than when I went to do the educating.

The rural community where the session took place was Ste. Pierre, just south of Niverville on Hwy. 59.  I had always wanted to visit as Sister #3 had friends residing there and had often told me about a little restaurant called Le Bebe Rouge.

So on my way home, after a satisfying day, I stopped in to pick up an early supper.  I chose their signature burger as prompted by Sister #3 and then could not resist the urge to try the poutine.  I was in a rural French community after all, likely similar to the one where poutine originated in the first place.  Now I must confess, I have actually entered into a 12 step treatment program to control my addiction to poutine.  I was successful in limiting myself to one delicious taste and then I sealed the container up again so that I would not be tempted by more.  I did not even allow myself to take a photo of them.  They did not go to waste though, D enjoyed them the next day for lunch.

The burger in the mean time was perfect- a beautifully cooked all beef patty, with appropriate squirts of mustard, relish and ketchup, melted cheese and crispy lettuce.  I am guessing that the bun had been laid a top of the grill because it was sweet, soft and moist.  The burger all comes together like a mystery, my never being able to identify the one clue of its success.

So if you ever find yourself in Ste Pierre or if you ever just need an excuse for a lovely drive south of the city,  Le Bebe Rouge is the first gas station on your left just at the north edge of town.

Kath’s quote:  “It requires a certain kind of mind to see beauty in a hamburger bun. Yet is it any more unusual to find grace in the texture and softly carved silhouette of a bun than to reflect lovingly on the hackles of a fishing fly? Or the arrangements and textures on a butterfly’s wing? ”-Ray Kroc

Love-that is all.

My lunch meeting at Rudy’s Eat and Drink was one of those classic adventures where I scoured the dining room room for his familiar face before being sat down in the lounge and then spent the rest of the time looking at my watch and thinking that perhaps I had the day or the meeting time wrong.  In the mean time, he was in the dining room doing exactly the same thing.  He had just sat back down after doing another lap looking for me, when we finally intercepted.

While I was alone, I was entertained and content.  Not only could I get caught up on my Blackberry messages but the bar is equipped with TV screens that displays their Twitter feed and I was challenged by seeing my own message appear on their screen.  So too, the male servers at Rudy’s are particularly gorgeous and I know handsome when I see it (my husband of almost 28 years being quite the catch)!

But, as usual, I digress.  To the food…

My friend had Rudy’s Reuben and was well pleased.  Stacked high with pastrami, it also contains sauerkraut, Swiss cheese and Russian dressing.  The latter is very similar to Thousand Island dressing and some say that they are interchangeable.  My guess is that on a Reuben, they would be hard to distinguish, but that is just my hunch.  My eye was drawn by the house bacon that I spotted on the salad.  Bacon in a Caesar is a treat that we like to make at home.

While I had spent time on my own, one of the servers came over and asked if I had dined at Rudy’s before.  When I told him no, he proceeded to tell me the quality story of Rudy’s kitchen and their “from scratch” cooking style including the fact that they cure all of their own meats on premise.  He was very sincere about their philosophy and it was recited in such a genuine way that I was duly impressed.  This, having worked behind the scenes in the restaurant business, is the sign of excellent training.

When it was my turn, I made a combative choice of the Dueling Tuna.  Said to be a battle between carpaccio and tartar, my natural demeanor must have taken over, because they tasted quite harmonious to me.  I do recall having to have some fruit before my dinner time because I was not fully satiated after my light lunch.  Next time I may chose something a bit more substantial.

Kath’s quote: “’Hey, Earthman? You hungry kid?’ said Zaphod’s voice. ‘Er, well, yes, a little peckish, I suppose,’ said Arthur. ‘Okay, baby, hold tight,’ said Zaphod. ‘We’ll take in a quick bit at the Restaurant at the End of the Universe.’”-Douglas Adams

Love-that is all.

Over a year has come and gone since the opening of Unburger and D had still not had a chance to visit there.  But the fabulous little place was “top of mind” since Uptown’s- Best of Winnipeg list had come out and indicated that it was voted “best new restaurant” on the vibrant Winnipeg scene.  (Food Musings was declared “best Winnipeg blog”-quite an honour).  A casual dinner with a business friend from out of town became the right occasion and D finally ventured in.

D just had to have the Drunken Aussie, tempted by the taste combination of beets, double smoked bacon and Bothwell cheese.

But look more closely for the real taste sensation-an omega three, perfectly cooked,  sunny side up egg, perched on top.  This makes for glorious, rich and goey eating.

Our American friend loved her Chicken Burger (but I was holding the table by the window and was not in ear shot to hear which one she ordered).

I was well pleased with my choice of a Bella Burger- a portabella mushroom burger with a special treat of balsamic onions.

At Unburger even the sides are good or shall I say the sides are especially good.  I was really hoping that D or our friend would have ordered either of the potato fries but was not disappointed by the “Edamommy” in curry salt and was over the moon for the 8 Grain Energy Salad that D and I both chose.  It was chock full of 2 kids of quinoa and roasted almonds-yummers!

Kyle came over to say hi but quickly had to get back to expediting the hot orders from the busy kitchen to his hungry guests.  It sure is wonderful to see young talent like the Unburger guys obviously doing so well.  The food and the restaurant itself is fresh and clean and simply adorned.

The evening was gorgeous and so we had a walk through the village and ended the evening with a glass of wine at the new/old Basil’ s patio-a perfect summer evening in Winnipeg.

Kaths quote: “Love and eggs are best when they are fresh.” –Russian proverb

The second dish that Chef Michael Allemeier prepared for Winnipeg TV audiences was this upscale version of a family favourite.  The elegance comes from the cream and smoked Canadian Cheddar.  Which is why I am convinced that the Canadian Milk Producers got threes chefs involved in their Any Day Magic Challenge, in the first place.  Many family cooks like myself, can manage the any day, Chef Michael added the magic to make a simple dish extraordinary and memorable.

Being on the set with Chef Michael for a day, I picked up some cooking tips that will translate to other dishes as well.

1. Like using lots of onions in nutritious meals but taking the time to saute them for long enough so that their essence is realized and they are perfectly soft and translucent.

2.  A squeeze of lemon added at the end of preparation will not necessarily add lemon flavour but bring out all the other tastes in a natural manner.

3.  Use lots of fresh herbs no matter what the dish is-the taste is explosive and the plant itself is good for you.

4.  Take mushrooms back up to a higher heat to urge them past the watery stage and plump them up while browning them.

5. A smoky cheese and a little cream can go a long way.  You do not need a lot of either to boost the texture, silkiness and taste to an entirely new level.

Kath’s quote “When love and skill work together, expect a masterpiece.”-John Ruskin

This week in Winnipeg has been warm and sticky and believe me, I am not complaining.  But when the summer weather hits, I just cannot decide what I feel like eating.  I certainly do not want to turn on the oven or stand and stir anything around over a warm element.

I had the pleasure of meeting and working alongside Chef Michael Allemeier yesterday, as he wrapped up a multi-city tour with the Canadian Dairy Producers and their Everyday Magic Challenge.  Three TV Chefs were challenged to come up with two wholesome and nutritious recipes to be featured and Chef Michael dreamed up this refreshing chilled soup.  I happened to whip it up recently, had a bowl for lunch and have the rest chillin in the ole fridge as I understand that the summer weather is here to stay.

You might think with cream as an ingredient that the soup would be too rich, but this is not the case.  The recipe calls for no other fat  and when the scant 1/2 cup of cream is immulsed with so many veggies, the result is both refreshing and velvety.

Kath’s quote:

‘Tis not her coldness, father,
That chills my labouring breast;
It’s that confounded cucumber
I’ve ate and can’t digest.”-Richard Harris Barham