I knew that some cash was going to be spent on dining out this week, so I started the weekend off on a frugal note.  I made what we call Refrigerator Soup.  My husband keeps turkey broth in the freezer, so I threw in some chicken for protein and whatever veggies and herbs were in the fridge/freezer.  In addition, I cleaned out my bread box and made croutons which is one of my fav snacks (when you are craving salty).  If you’ve never done this, here’s my recipe:  melt  1/4 c of butter with a 1/4 c of olive oil and mix in 1 T of dried chicken soup stock (or garlic salt but not both).  Toss with cubed bread and spread onto a single layer of an edged baking sheet.  Bake at 375 for 15 minutes and check.  Depending upon the quantity, if not quite browned, stir and bake another 5 minutes or so.

That night was Cafe Dario for dinner.  Instead of giving my nephew a cash wedding gift, we treated them to a night out with us.  We had a lovely visit and no one had to cook.  I had been to the Cafe for business lunches many times but never for dinner.  The Cafe features a five course dinner for $35.

We started with escargot “El Diablo” simmered with mushrooms, and tomato and covered with melted provolone.  We also tried the mussels and clams cooked with bacon, beer and Serrano chilies and the chipotle BBQ basted elk ribs.  The soup course was a delicious French onion and the salad had a fresh mint sesame vinaigrette dressing (I could have eaten a bowl of it with a spoon).  For entrees we tried the beef tenderloin with chimichurri, the porcini crusted rack of lamb with chocolate mushroom sauce, the bacon wrapped venison loin with brandy blackberry coli and the bacon wrapped chicken breast stuffed with jalapenos and cheddar and served with a cilantro crema.  The dessert was a little piece of tiramisu.  We chose an Argentinian Malbec to accompany the meats.  A delicious and wonderful evening.

For lunch during the week, I met a friend of mine on the second floor of Deluca’s. I had a lovely visit with a stranger that I shared a table with as I waited for her to arrive.  I chose the pizza covered with olives, roasted red pepper and artichokes and a tossed salad with extra red onions. My friend had the homemade soup and salad.  We were both stuffed for $15.  I also had the opportunity to go out for a last minute Dim Sum date at the Dim Sum Garden.  In my opinion this is the best in Winnipeg and I have been to their location on Rupert Ave. a hundred times.  I especially love their sticky rice and  shrimp dumplings.

I ended the week on a frugal note again and found some frozen hamburger patties in the freezer.  I wanted to go easy on the carbs and get my veggies in,  so we had a huge mushroom cap topper instead of the top half of the bun.

I chatted about my post yesterday with a friend who directed me to one of her favourite food books that was neglected from my list.  This clever book is written by Suzanne Pirret and is a  a combination of recipes and a narrative about being single and wondering why eating alone has gotten such a bad rap.

I quote:  “This is a book about cooking for yourself decadently.  There are serious cookbooks written by serious chefs and light and breezy cookbooks written by wholesome cooks.  This is both.  It’s naughty and doesn’t take itself too seriously.

Each chapter begins with a short story based on my experiences living in New York, Los Angeles, Paris and London followed by my repertoire of recipes that have been inspired by modern classics, some great chefs, my travels and, I might add, a far amount of successful experimentation.  They’re all for one serving and written in a fairly simple style….Think solitude at its most celebratory. ”

My friend tells me that these recipes are so delicious she still cooks from this book now that she’s is an old married lady (celebrating her first anniversary this weekend).

This is her favourite:

Not Suzanne's Version

“Best Mac “N” Cheese

Nothing fancy or weird.  This is the real deal.

Cook a c of elbow macaroni in boiling salted water with a little oil added.  Meanwhile , in another saucepan, make a bechamel:  melt a T of butter, whisk in a T of flour and cook until bubbly.  Add a c of cold milk and continue whisking until thickened,  Season with salt, white pepper, a nice pinch of hot chili powder and some chopped fresh thyme of flat-leafed parsley (or just a simple grating of nutmeg).  Stir in a cup of grated cheese, such as a combo of white and yellow cheddar, or some parmigiana and/or Emmental-whatever you favourites might be.  You have a lot oif choices.

Drain the pasta and toss into your bechamel.  Spoon into a small casserole dish, sprinkle with toasted fresh or panko breadcrumbs, place on a baking sheet and stick in a 400 degree F oven until golden and bubbly, about 15 minutes or so.

Drink whatever you want.”

I would respectfully challenge my friend to a mac and cheese cook off.  My family loves my version adapted from The Best of Bridge.  You decide.

Gourmet Mac and Cheese

A delicious Mac and Cheese from The Lobby on York

Cook and drain 2 1/2 c macaroni and set aside. Melt 1/4 c butter over medium heat; stir in 1/4 c flour; mix well. Add 2 c milk and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until sauce thickens. Add 1 t salt, 1 t sugar (sounds strange but just do it!) and 8 oz. grated cheddar cheese. Mix well. Mix 2/3 c fat free sour cream and 1 1/3 c cottage cheese into sauce. Mix with macaroni. Sprinkle another 2 c grated cheddar cheese and 1 1/2 c bread crumbs over top. Dot with 2 T butter and sprinkle with paprika. Bake at 350F for 45-50 minutes. Serves 6.

Last night my friend (honourary sister) instant messaged me about the book that she was just finishing.  It is called The School of Essential Ingredients by Erica Bauermeister.  I replied with the cliche that great minds think alike as I had already reserved it the library (a) to save paper b) because I’m frugal).  I messaged back with a title for her Hungry Woman in Paris by Josephine Lopez.

One of our fav Paris pics- Sacre Coeur from the Musee D'Orsay

Then there all the Maeve Binchy tiles:  Quentin’s (about a restaurant), The Scarlett  Feather (about a catering business) and The Night of Rain and Stars (about a restaurant and Inn on a Greek Island).  I have also read the entire Isabel Dalhousie Series by Alexander McCall Smith including Friends Lovers Chocolate .  Isabel’s niece owns a gourmet deli in Edinburgh and Isabel and her partner are always cooking up herb and leek omelets with crisp chardonnays.  So too: The Number One Ladies Detective Agency Series including The Full Cupboard of Life where Precious Ramotswe often starts her day with cup of red bush tea and a  sit on the porch to watch the sunrise and then a walk around her little garden.  Ah-a woman who truly knows what pleasure is.  The series is so food focused that there is now a accompanying cookbook.  “In Mma Ramotswe’s Cookbook: Nourishment for the Traditionally Built you can sample the sumptuous stews for sharing, fabulous fruit cakes for eating under shady trees, with red bush tea of course, and the spices, traditions and culture of Botswana that make every meal together special.”

Everyone thinks that Under the Tuscan Sun is about weekends in Positano and sexy Italian men because of the movie adaption.

Me Perched in Positano

When in fact it was an amazing non-fiction depiction of Frances Mayes’ love of celebrating with food.  She even included recipes at the end of many chapters.  Her next  book Bella Tuscany included not only her favourite recipes but the dining excursions that she made around Italy with her new husband.  In her not yet released book Everyday in Tuscany “she’s stirring the reader’s gastric juices with luscious tales from the table or tendering a descriptive nugget that holds fast in the mind’s eye.”

I also love Marlena de Blasi who has worked as a chef and as a food and wine consultant, and also lives in Italy, where she plans and conducts gastronomic tours of its various regions. I’ve read four of her  memoirs—That Summer in Sicily, A Thousand days in Venice, A Thousand Days in Tuscany and The Lady in the Palazzo

And last but not least:  Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert and her just released Committed which is also on my list.

About this time of year my heart really starts yearning for a walk along the beach of Lake Winnipeg.  People that know me really well, can see that I am lying here.  I am yearning for a walk along the beach of the Is la Mujeres but this year that is not to be.  As I am a practicalist,  I just switch up a couple of details in my head-Lake Winnipeg it is.

ahh Isla

If you’ve never tasted Winnipeg Goldeye-you deserve to give yourself the treat.  It is a oilier and more solid fish than salmon and is fabulous in your favourite smoke salmon appetizer recipes.  We’ve also started enjoying White Bass from the lake.  It is easier to catch seems more plentiful these days.  Dusted in flour and fried in butter-we eat it by the basketful on the deck with ice cold beer.  There’s usually a horseshoe or boccie tournament going on.

But the prize catch of Lake Winnipeg is Pickerel. Just caught pickerel actually comes alive and dances in your mouth.  I kid you not-that is the most accurate way that I can describe it.  My family loves it very simply prepared but I’ve enjoyed many other versions over the years including fried in crumbled Old Dutch potato chips!

The Lobby's Pickerel and Chips

There are a number of Grand Beach area restaurants that do pickerel very well.  One of our favourites is the Idyl Thyme where we often celebrate our September wedding anniversary.  In Winnipeg, I’ve loved nut crusted pickerel at Restaurant Dubrovnik’s and panko crusted at The Lobby on York.

Fishing Lake Winnipeg at Sunset

The best place to buy just caught pickerel is from a local bootlegger but because I will try not to promote any illicit activities, I will not sketch any details here.  There are also multiple Gimli Fish locations in Winnipeg.  Our favourite is the heart of Winnipeg’s North End at Dufferin and McGregor which we always include when we a do a North End Shopping Spree.  I’ll include all of our stops in another entry.  The NE Gimli Fish shop is a corner store-literally.  When you walk in you are struck by the aroma of fish in a very pleasant way.  Perhaps it is made more pleasant by all of the helpful faces of the females behind the counter.  We buy our Panko flakes here as well as mixed seafood for “fruita de mare” recipes and everyone once in a while a treat of pickerel cheeks.  Also the only Winnipeg store that I know of that sells frog legs.  Neechi Foods is another great place to experience and pick up pickerel.

On this night ever cast produced a catch

The cheek is the little nugget of flesh that can be popped out when your are filletting a pickerel (demonstrated in this U tube link).  I have personally never had this honour but I understand it to be so.  We sautee them in lemon and butter and fresh dill.  They are the close to a small scallop in texture and the taste is totoally unique.  If you don’t live in Winnipeg-come visit us in the summer.  If you do-eat lots of pickerel…it is excellent for your health and the hard working fishermen of Lake Winnipeg will thank you.