One might think that when you are requested to “bring something along to share during the game”, you would pick up a bag of chips or whip up some nachos.  But oh no, the guys at our house spent the afternoon making kabobs and beef sliders (more on that dish tomorrow). 

I could hear D rustling around in the freezer downstairs but was still suprized when I saw six gorgeous New York steaks thawing in the sink.  At one time D was the Food Manager at the Garry St. Keg Steakhouse and Bar, so the recipe for teriyaki sauce which was made from scratch, once a week, was firmly ingrained in his brain.  So too was the memory of the aroma of garlic, ginger and soya sauce which greeted me at the door when I returned from brunch out with my Mom and sisters.

The sauce was put together early in the afternoon so that the steaks could marinate for a couple of hours.  This ensures not only great flavour but that desired tenderness.  In truth, when you are using a steak cut like a New York, the tenderness is pretty much guaranteed.

In D’s Keg days, the meat morsels would have been skewed with white onion and green pepper but D added red and orange peppers, purple onion and huge cubes of fresh pineapple for good measure.

D fired up the barbie and got out his “good” tongs to turn them over the flame before they left for the game.  I enjoyed mine with a quiet glass of Merlot as I watched the Superbowl solo and got caught up on some writing.  The sweetness of the pineapple and the brown sugar of the marinade was the perfect offset to the saltiness of the soya sauce and the tartness of the veggies.  The beef itself was perfectly cooked-medium rare inside with a crispness on the surface where the natural sugars had met the flame.

I don’t know if it was these skewers that boosted our son’s energy and enthusiasm, when he ran down the middle of his quiet street in celebration when his Giants won!

For less expensive beef cuts that are perfect for marinating, check out www.beefinfo.org.  I am dreaming of a food bloggers scholarship to Eat, Write, Retreat www.eatwriteretreat.com as I write this…

Kath’s quote: “Beef is the soul of cooking.”Marie-Antoine Carême (1784-1833)

D and I were invited to attend this prestigious event by Jennifer and Ellen of the Manitoba Canola Growers.  They were the perfect hosts and we had such a surprizingly, hilarious evening.  Before the evening was over, I felt as if I had made new lifelong friends.  See how food connects us together?

I could never do the Chefs of the Canadian Culinary Federation justice by trying to describe, in mere words, what each element of their artistic food creations were like.  There are not enough superlatives for the eleven course masterpieces.

So instead, I hope you will indulge me as I take you on a picture tour of the evening:

Appetizers were served in the lobby and although we missed out on Shish Taouk Wrappers, Scallion Pancakes with Smoked Salmon and Wasabi, Arepas with Blue Cheese Pico de Gallo and Greek Style Quesadillas, we did sample Barbequed Oysters, Inside Out Sushi and Lebanese Chicken Wings. The wings were our favourite and we had wished that we had a vat of them to serve on Superbowl Sunday.  Chef Carl Oman and his students from Red River College were the creators of these offerings.

The Fish course was Farm- raised Saskatchewan Steelhead Trout Gravlax with Pickled Cucumber Orange Basil  Mayonnaise and Ceviche of Ahi Tuna with Mango Jalepeno Salsa and Micro Greens.  This was served with a Riesling to offset the saltiness of the Gravlax. I was especially drawn to the Ceviche.

I was relieved when the Game Course was Smoked Duck Breast with Roasted Beet Salad, Vegetable Chips and Beet Canola Vinaigrette.  Tiny slivers of the duck meant that we would have room for all that was still to come. Chef Joe Lindhorst and students from College Sturgeon Heights Collegiate handled these offerings beautifully.

The Soup Course turned out to be my favourite of the evening.  The Chicken Vermouth Soup was topped with a Seared Saffron Medallion, a swirl of Spinach Canola Oil and Tomato Concasse.  I applaud Chef Raymond Czayka & students from Kildonan East Collegiate.

The Sorbet Course provided us with some challenges.  We were not sure what was intended to be edible and what elements were simply the base to present the sorbets, but the Blackberry Merlot  and the Lemon Rosemary Ice were heavenly.  These were prepared by Pastry Chef Ainsley Long, staff & students from Kildonan East Collegiate.

We took a break just as we were to tuck in to the Main Course of Beef Tenderloin, Mushroom Duxelle & Puff Pastry served with Veal Jus, Mixed Bean Cassoulet and Assorted Baby Vegetables to go on a kitchen visit were we were able to congratulate Team Manitoba in person.

The Salad Course was a Mixed Herb Canola Salad with Toasted Mixed Seeds and a Herbed Parmesan Strip. Chef Andy Ormiston & students of Lord Selkirk Regional Secondary School beautifully assembled this offering.

One of the members of our table squealed in delight when the Dessert Course was served.  Red Velvet Cake Square, Napolean Torte, Cognac Truffles and Orange &  Pomegranate sauce.  Chef Helmut Mathae & students of Louis Riel Arts & Technology Centre presented this sweet art.

A variety of wines were poured all evening long.  I was so fixated on the food details that I spent too little attention on the wine selection.  Suffice it to say, some were Canadian selections and all were perfect pairings.  Cognacs and creme liquers were served next.

By this time, we were given permission to taste Le Cirque au Chocolate Centrepiece that Pastry Chef MJ Feeke of Benjamin’s Gourmet Foods had created.

And lastly was a Bothwell Cheese Station.  I visually searched and found my favourite Black Truffle selection which was perfectly enhanced by Homemade Crackers prepared by Baker Terry Willerton & students from Tec-Voc high school.

By this time, we were shocked to know that it was 11 pm.  Hugs and good-byes were shared, knowing that the bond created on that night would connect us in the future. 

How blessed we are to live in Manitoba, with so many amazing local food choices right at our finger tips; made even better by the skill of world class chefs!

Kath’s quote: “You ought to have seen Frédéric with his monocle, his greying whiskers, his calm demeanour, carving his plump quack-quack, trussed and already flamed, throwing it into the pan, preparing the sauce, salting and peppering like Claude Monet’s paintings, with the seriousness of a judge and the precision of a mathematician, and opening up, with a sure hand, in advance, every perspective of taste.”
-Leon Daudet describing the preparation of pressed duck at the restaurant, La Tour d’Argent

What do you get a NFL crazed fan who is celebrating a monumental birthday on the same weekend as the NFC and AFC championship games?  I knew better than to schedule any birthday festivities on that Sunday in spite of the fact that we typically do mark the occasion with a Sunday supper.  There was a time when he and his brothers would assemble in Fargo ND for the weekend!  So the date is pretty much etched into my brain. 

The Skybox at 4 Play was the perfect solution.  We arrived right at 2 as kick off was occuring for the first game.  The room which has a maximum capicity of 50 is appointed with big leather couches, a private washroom, a fireplace, one ten foot  TV screen and two huge plasma TVs and best of all, our own bartender/server.  People came and went all afternoon at intervals perfectly paced so D could keep track of the plays and his guests.

In between games, the staff bought out all the fixings for the cakes that I had brought along.  A entourage of well-wishers, who weren’t all that interested in the games arrived at that time.  Some just stayed long enough for a bevvie, others ordered a bite of supper before heading out.  There was less of a crowd for the second game which was absolutely fine because there was a great deal of interest in how the Giants were playing and the ultimate outcome of the game.

Anyone who ordered food was very, very impressed (sorry I was having too much fun, to take any food shots).  Fresh cut fries accompanied most choices and the nachos were piled high with all the trimmings.  Our bartender was the perfect host.  All I had to do, was sit back and watch D enjoy his special day of sport with family and his buds.

On event days (Jets, Superbowl)  the cost of the room is $500 and on days other than event days the cost is $250. Money well spent (imho).  You can get all the booking details on their website.

Kath’s quote: “They are all but stomachs, and we all but food; They eat us hungerly, and when they are full, They belch us.”-William Shakespeare

The Friday evening was D’s birthday and even though I had plenty of other celebrations planned, we couldn’t let the night pass without a dinner out together.  We had decided upon another Corydon restaurant but were so turned off by the harried server that wanted to rush us to a table and then leave us there until more staff came in, so we kept walking and decided that Mise Bistro would be a far better choice.

 When we arrived it was still happy hour and we were delighted by the choices of glasses of wine that were on special. When it came time to order our dinner, we had a difficult time making our minds up because so many dishes caught out eye.  So, instead we decided to take advantage of a three course offering for the special price of $38.  Recipes are modified to grazing portions and were just our cuppa tea.

Our first taste was of cornmeal crusted pickerel with roasted peppers and potatoes and tomato concasse.  Strictly speaking, concasse is a French term describing a peeled and seeded tomato that has been chopped to uniform dimensions.  Perhaps because of the mini portion, the tomato was not as described but the overall impact of the flavour combinations was sublime.  Mind you, we love local pickerel so much that as long as you don’t do anything to overcook it, we are content. 

 Our second nibbles were of this grilled prawn and chicken breast on a bed of  jasmine rice, snap peas, mango chutney and raw cashews, topped with a spring of cilantro.  Mango, cilantro and cashews are all favourites of ours.

Lastly, these prawns were sauteed in brown butter and came with delicate gnocchi, broccoli, crispy pancetta, toasted almonds and shards of Parmesan.  Distinctive from the previous dishes, we were more than content.

It was a birthday celebration after all and so we also ordered dessert.  Consistent with the small plates that we enjoyed throughout our dinner, we chose the Dessert Trio for the conclusion of a fabulous dinner.  We each got a taste of apple and goat cheese strudel with cinnamon creme fraiche (my favourite), Grand Marnier creme brulee and a chocolate brownie with burnt almond toffee ice cream.  This and every dessert offering come in at $8.  Everything on the menu was well-priced but the dessert trio, especially so.

Michael was our waiter that evening.  He was cordial, efficient and obviously loves his work and the offerings at Mise.  We spotted this table by the window, and think that we will request it on our next visit because we will definitely be back. 

 Kath’s quote: “The French approach to food is characteristic; they bring to their consideration of the table the same appreciation, respect, intelligence and lively interest that they have for the other arts, for painting, for literature, and for the theatre. We foreigners living in France respect and appreciate this point of view but deplore their too strict observance of a tradition which will not admit the slightest deviation in a seasoning or the suppression of a single ingredient. Restrictions aroused our American ingenuity, we found combinations and replacements which pointed in new directions and created a fresh and absorbing interest in everything pertaining to the kitchen.”-Alice B. Toklas

I have shared with you, my new favourite author and promised some more excerpts from her writings.  This is first of many from “Delicious” which is the story of three generations of  Italian women and the old kitchen in Campania which binds then together.

“Food was what she loved.  Shopping for it at the market stalls piled with glossy, purple-coated aubergines, dirt-dusted field mushrooms, ripe red peppers and artichokes with their hard green leaves tightly clasping their hearts.  She loved unpacking her bounty and imagining the extra life she could bring to it with a lashing of chili sauce or a sizzle in oil over high heat.  But most of all she loved eating it, greedily tasting as she cooked , licking her fingers and the backs of spoons, piling it onto plates and bowls, or sometimes eating more than good for her right out of the pan.  Marketing strategies and leveraging opportunities were all very well but she could hardly be blamed if they didn’t fill her with the same passion as a tray of slow-roasted tomatoes bathed in balsamic vinegar or a slab of beef braised with red wine and onions until the meat fell softly from the bone….

She was clever with food, always had been.  As a child she helped her mother, Maria, in the kitchen almost from the moment she could walk.  First she’d been allowed to stand on a chair and stir the gravy for the Sunday roast to stop it sticking and then she’d graduated to rolling out the pastry when her mother made a pie, stealing the off-cuts for jam tarts and turn overs.

When she looked back over those years, it was the tastes and smells of the meals they’d made together that stoked Chiara’s memory more than any particular event or moment.  Still vivid in her mind were winter dishes of pork sausages wrinkled from simmering in thick brown gravy, huge comforting helpings of shepherd’s pie with a crispy crust of cheddar, or plates filled with oven-roasted cod and fat crinkle cut chips that they could never resist wrapping in over-buttered soft white bread and devouring as the heat of the fried potato melted the butter which ran down their hands.”

You can see that Chiara has not embraced her Italian heritage at this stage and those delicious chapters are yet to come.

Kath’s quote: “It is impossible to read English novels without realizing how important a part food plays in the mental as in the physical life of the Englishman.”-Elisabeth Luther Cary (1867-1936)