Browsing: Food Celebrations

Picasso Feast at The Winnipeg Art Gallery

June1

You may have heard that the Winnipeg Art Gallery is hosting a special exhibit of the works of Pablo Picasso this summer. In celebration of this fabulous exhibit, the restaurant at the Gallery, headed up by Chef Mark Andrews is hosting a special dinner and gallery tour entitled “Feast: Picasso & Mediterranean Cuisine”.

“Feast” is both a noun and a verb. Recently some of my social media friends and I were treated by the WAG (Winnipeg Art Gallery) to a Picasso Feast. This was in celebration of the unique opportunity to view the “Picasso in Canada-Man & Beast” exhibit. We feasted upon three Mediterranean Cuisine courses as Picasso was born in Spain but lived in southern France for much of his life. The dishes themselves were exquisite to look at and we feasted with our eyes.

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We commenced with a first course of omelette nicoise, cherry tomato gazpacho and root vegetable ravioli. I chose this option and was delighted by the tartness of the gazpacho to balance the savoury ravioli and omelette.

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The non-vegetarian option featured a lamb rib instead of the ravioli.

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Our Main Course was free-range chicken with lemon paella cake, baby spring vegetables and the piece de resistance: saffron balsamic syrup! The vegetarian entrée substituted a wild mushroom and mixed bean paella.

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Stuffed to capacity, I do not know how I had the room for dessert but somehow managed to slurp down a banana caramel custard topped with sherry and coconut. The dinner from start to finish was absolutely delectable and enhances the Picasso exhibition with symbolic food choices. See if you can connect the significance of the cherry tomato gazpacho to the Picasso story.

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Our subsequent feast for the eyes was moving to the upper galleries for the Picasso exhibit. We were particularly blessed to have Rachel Baerg, head of education at the WAG along as our personal tour guide. Having studied the history of art as my second minor in university I knew that Picasso was a man way ahead of his time and was truly a genius artiste. Rachel’s enthusiasm absolutely bubbled over and I became to know more about Picasso the man, the husband, father and womanizer.

The installation is awe inspiring with hundreds of prints from The Vollard Suite as well as enormous and significant pieces on loan from other Canadian Galleries. I won’t tarnish your experience by revealing too much.  I had my favourites and so will you when you visit, and  visit you MUST!

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An artist’s (or a chef’s) hands have always fascinated me. How does the vision of the finished product move from the head, past the heart and into the fingers that then puts the piece on a canvas or a plate?

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I had never seen this gorgeous depiction of one of Picasso’s many muses. Her beauty is breathtaking and lovingly put to paper.

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My personal favourites were and always have been Picasso’s simple pencil drawings. He is so masterful that the simplest line is perfection!

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I also got a significant kick out of his self-portraits. What was it about this man that attracted younger lovers in a string over the decades?

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The exhibit is beautifully laid out.

The Feast at the Winnipeg Art Gallery (300 Memorial Blvd.) is available June 8, July 6 and August 10th, 2017. Dinner is at 6 pm dinner and the tour at 7:30 pm. Tickets to Exhibit Only are $18, to the Feast & Exhibit $70 and $65 for WAG members. Reserve your spot at http://wag.ca/visit/events/specialevents/display,event/991/feast or call 204.789.1290.

Kath’s quote: “Others have seen what is and asked why. I have seen what could be and asked why not.”- Pablo Picasso

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Love never fails.

 

 

 

 

 

Mediteranean Fund-Raising Dinner at Mon Ami Louis

May16

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People find it increasingly difficult to find a unique way to fund-raise these days. Friends of ours came up with a brilliant idea but you would have to have access to an iconic restaurant and the talents of chefs to pull it off yourself. Our young friend is off to Greece this summer with an organization who works with fleeing immigrants by providing them assistance with their transition and some comfort as the process takes place.

Her boyfriend happens to be on Chef Luc Jean’s team at Mon Ami Louis. The latter graciously made his restaurant available in order to make the event a reality.

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In keeping with the Greek destination the evening’s theme was a Mediterranean one, commencing with a Greek Salad featuring premise-marinated olives that had been warmed to allow the full pungency of the olive to be experienced when tasted. I also detected some orange zest which I appreciated because I sometimes find the traditional recipe of olive oil and lemon juice too tart.

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Even when the salad was tossed around, the effect was beautiful. Mixing the salad allowed you to spear an olive, some feta and one of the veggies with each and every bite.

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Sister #3 who stepped in as Sous Chef always teases me that my life is a journey of searching for that perfect bite.

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The main course was a delectably stuffed Moroccan Chicken that the team managed to keep perfectly moist. The accompanying carrots and rice were topped with a cool dill sauce to offset the subtle spicy tastes of Moroccan spice. I did not see any plate retrieved by the volunteer staff that still had food on it. Everyone consumed every last bite. A sign of a meal well loved.

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Dessert was an espresso panna cotta (Italian cooked cream) with a raspberry coulis. The refreshingly thin fruit sauce complimented the rich panna cotta beautifully.

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In short, the meal was perfect but so too was the company and the setting. All this and creating a little bit of assistance to our lovely friend who is Greece bound.

Kath’s quote: “You make a living by what you get. You make a life by what you give”.

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Love never fails.

 

 

 

 

Wedding at Zama Beach Club

May10

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Our side never quite got it organised for our family picture.

When the bride and groom and their parents were selecting the perfect venue on Isla Mujeres, I am quite sure that the quality of the food figured into the equation in a very big way. With their decision to host the wedding at Zama Beach, they got both excellent food and one of the most beautiful settings in Mexico. I cannot speak for the groom’s family except to say that I have seen pictures of them at beautiful vineyards, markets and restaurants enjoying themselves immensely. I have also seen the groom tuck in to his mother-in-law’s food with relish, so I have a hunch that food is a love language in their family as it is in ours.

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My sisters and I first discovered Zama in 2005 with our first trip to the island. Little did we know at that time, that it would host one of the most wonderful events of our lives.

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We assembled in an outdoor lounging area upon arrival and enjoyed a welcome cocktail of Blue Margaritas to help settle the nerves. I especially appreciated mine as I was officiating at the marriage; a task I had never done before. We all doffed our shoes, made our way down the aisle and sat with our feet in the sand. Somehow, this simple act put us all on equal footing and we became one family, as opposed to many to witness the couple’s vows.

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Since I played an official role, I arrived early to get ready for my responsibilities. It gave me an opportunity to obtain a preview of where the wedding supper would take place.

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Our long time friend Javi and his father were there to serenade us as we transitioned to the pier and then the dining room.

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After the ceremony there was an opportunity for glorious pictures as the sun was just setting; including this one of the guests from all over the world.

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There were appetizers of ceviche and empanadas that were very delicious and made us all look forward to the dinner getting under way. We enjoyed a salad of greens with hibiscus dressing. The entrée was a combination of succulent chicken and fish done in the Tic ‘n Chix manner.

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The beautiful lemon and coconut wedding cake was adorned with fresh flowers and was enthusiastically consumed (especially by the Wee One).

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The newlyweds started off the dancing and then virtually everyone spilled onto the dance floor and danced the night away.

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Later in the evening quesadillas were served as well as churros. We all appreciated the midnight snack as we had burned many calories on the dance floor.

What can I say? The day was perfect in each and every way.

Kath’s quote: “Two souls with but a single thought, two hearts that beat as one”.-Friedrich Halm

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Love never fails.

 

 

 

The Newest Member of Our Family

March7

This is the first full day that the lovely Alicia is spending as the newest member of our clan. She married our nephew (Little A) in a private ceremony in Canmore yesterday and is today spending time with her new husband.

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Our family feels particularly connected to this union as it was J1 who introduced the two. J1 and Alicia became great pals when they worked together at the St. James Keg. Their first blind date, neither showed up but somehow those jitters got under control for a second rendezvous. The rest, as they say, is history.

The guys in the family got together last weekend for a gentlemen’s (I use the term loosely) event out at Lester Beach. So the way was made clear for the ladies to assemble too and welcome Alicia into our family.

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Alicia got some help opening presents by the Wee One and her cousin Serena.

We did so with warm wishes, presents (many of them cooking related) and food…glorious food!

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Kath’s quote: “Love is a partnership of two unique people who bring out the very best in each other, and who know that even though they are wonderful as individuals, they are even better together.”- Barbara Cage

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Love never fails.

 

The Frenchman’s 30th Birthday

February21

Three out seven family members turn 30 this year but the Frenchman was the first. Last night’s celebration was particularly noteworthy though. The Frenchman brought a new tradition to us when he first joined our family. For a birthday celebration everyone has an opportunity to express why they love the person we are celebrating. The Wee One decided the order of sharing starting with her Poppa and saving Auntie Boo for last. While her Mom was sharing, the Wee One (three years old) knew that she was next and you could see her wheels turning as to what she was going to say: “I love him because he is so nice and her loves me and he always plays with me.”

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Food traditions were also recognized. D typically finds a good deal on back ribs and prepares them with a lengthy slow roasting procedure which is detailed here: My Man’s Ribs.

The Frenchman (and the entire family) also love chicken wings and so I made a batch from a well-loved recipe and served them as an appetizer:

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Parmensan Chicken Wings
Author: 
Recipe type: Appetizer or Main
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
 
Ingredients
  • 1 c parmesan cheese (I use freshly grated but Kraft actually works best in this recipe)
  • 1 t parsley
  • 1 t paprika
  • 1 t salt
  • ¼ t pepper
  • ¼ t garlic powder
  • 2 lbs chicken wings (tips discarded)
  • ½ c melted butter
Instructions
  1. Measure first 6 ingredients in a bowl and mix well.
  2. Dip each piece in melted butter, then toss in cheese mixture.
  3. Coat completely.
  4. Place on a foil lined baking sheet.
  5. Bake uncovered for 45 minutes.

A couple of hints:

  • In order to ease back richness and expense, I cut the parmesan in half and add a cup of breadcrumbs. Since the only crumbs I could find were already seasoned, I did not add the parsley flakes or salt and pepper.

 

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  • I am working very hard to lose 10% of my body weight for medical reasons and so I did not partake in the wings or ribs. Instead, I tossed a chicken breast in olive oil and then the parmesan mixture and had this with a pear, walnut & feta salad.

I was perfectly content while the rest of the family indulged in the above and also in poutine. The latter was made with real turkey gravy and Bothwell cheese curds. Even the youngest member of the family (one year) loved the wings and ribs!

Kath’s quote: “If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world.”- JRR Tolkien

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Love never fails.

 

 

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