We have learned a ton of useful bits of information, lifestyles, and strategies from our parents. One thing we have picked up from our parents was how to really relax when the time presents itself. We often refer to this as “cabin mode”. We have become very very good at getting into cabin mode in an appropriate amount of time. After being in Kenora for only two hours we had checked into our hotel room, had a great “Winter Bites” lunch offering, and stocked out hotel fridge with two big bottles of Prosecco, and a dozen different Ontario Craft beers that we hadn’t seen in Manitoba before. We know how to get comfortable and facilitate a good time in our family.

After spending two incredibly blissful days in Kenora we decided to have a Winter Bites Lunch marathon. We got out the Winter Bites Passport and looked at every lunch offering, and when the restaurant opened and charted a course for five lunches in one day! Was it 100% necessary… well, no. But it was a ton of fun and it really felt like a fun “touristy” thing to do. We started the day with the Four stack of Buttermilk Pancakes that we showed in the last post.

The second stop on the marathon was Bijou Steakhouse. We chose to try the Steakhouse Burger.

An amazing burger patty, with their house made tequila BBQ sauce, caramelized onions, sauteed mushrooms, bacon, cheddar, and four Shocktop battered onion rings!!! The fries on the side were fantastic but that burger really stole the show. We were able to talk with the owner of the steakhouse about some fun new things going on at Bijou which we are very excited to check in on when we make it back to Kenora. The space has an amazing vibe and I really want to go and check it out one night when there’s a band playing and it’s packed.

After the Burger we went to check out the Cornerstone conveniently located right next door. The fun thing with how the Cornerstone is doing the Winter Bites lunches is they are offering different specials all the time. When we arrived our server described the BBQ chicken cheese steak sandwich that was featured that day.

The zippiness of the bbq sauce that was on the sandwich was an amazing compliment to the classic flavours present in a cheese steak. We had a laugh when the server was explaining how a lot of people are surprised when there is no steak on the sandwich when it arrives due to the name. I explained another time when somebody I know thought they were eating chicken when they had ordered a chicken fried steak… not naming names.

We then enjoyed a slow walk over to Ristorante Pizzeria Italia to tackle another lunch item. I really loved the art that was placed all around the restaurant. I felt like it really captured a lot of my favorite memories of when I was in Italy years ago. Pair the warm ambiance with a dynamite Cannelloni di Carne and you got one amazing lunch!

Balance is one of the things that great Italian food is blessed with a balance of flavours, textures, herbs and spices, everything. This Cannelloni was the model of balance. The meal was bold, elegant, big, subtle, fresh, rustic, and more all at once. It should be said that Cannelloni has been a food of love for both of us since we were young and it would often be the food of choice on birthdays, valentines days, and most recently, New Years Eve.

Our final stop was at Dinos Greek Restaurant. If Ristorante reminded me of Italy, then Dino’s is IN Greece! The people, the interior design, the interior architecture, the menu (of coarse), everything screamed Greek. It was so fun to finish off the adventure at Dinos because although it didn’t remind us of our homes growing up, it still oddly felt like home. It felt like they knew we were coming and were excited we made it, which if you imagine it, is a great feeling when you walk into a restaurant.

The Gyro platter that is offered on the Winter Bites Lunch Menu is amazing. The freshness of the Greek salad was a very refreshing addition to the beautiful hearty gyro. The meat had an amazing depth of flavour and the sauces mixed with the fresh veggies in the gyro complimented each other perfectly. I know that often the gyro has a sort of food court style label thrown on it, but this take on the classic dish really has a great restaurant quality feel to it. I will definitely have this again when I am next in town.

Stay tuned for part the final bites of our Winter Bites Kenora experience!

Kath’s quote: “Next to eating good dinners, a healthy man with a benevolent turn of mind, must like, I think, to read about them.” –William Makepeace Thackeray

Live simply, laugh often, love deeply. Thanks for the gift of hearts Anne.

Kenora has a special place in my heart. Since the year I was born, Lake of the Woods has been our family’s mandatory vacation destination with the use of a generous friend’s cabin 20 minutes from the heart of Kenora. I have to admit the only culinary experience that I have ever enjoyed in town is ‘Ye Old Chip Truck’. Those perfectly cooked fries drenched in malt vinegar and salt were always a highlight of the summer.

Last week we were honored to take part in Kenora’s culinary event – ‘Winter Bites’. Nine local restaurants participated offering lunch and/or dinner menu items for a set price of $10 (lunch) or $25 (dinner) for the month of February.

Our first stop was Nourish Cafe, Shop and Yoga Studio. The atmosphere was quaint and the food – fresh. We chose the cranberry pecan chicken salad sandwich on dark russian rye bread. It reminded us of summer treat that we could eat down by the beach and the flavors complimented each other perfectly. The yoga studio upstairs seemed to be well used as we witnessed patrons entering and exiting their classes while we enjoyed our meal in the sunshine.

Our second morning in town we decided to have our breakfast at our hotel – Lakeside Inn & Conference Centre. Our stay at the Inn was an absolute pleasure. The staff was friendly and helpful, but the lake view from our room was spectacular, especially during sunset. We both ordered the breakfast sandwich as we knew we had a lot of eating left to do in the day and didn’t want to stuff ourselves prematurely. The use of a biscuit instead of a bun or english muffin took the sandwich a cut above the rest. It was simple and delicious – the perfect choice.

Next up was Uptown Restaurant. This place is an old favorite that has recently reopened. These were probably the most picturesque meals we enjoyed on our trip, but the flavors did not disappoint either. The perogies were creamy and perfectly balanced with a crunchy bacon garnish. The pancake platter was topped with scratch-made strawberry sauce, bananas, chocolate chips, whip cream and maple syrup. It was a guilty pleasure in which we were happy to indulge. A must-stop for breakfast in Kenora.

Kath’s quote: “Grandpa used to like gravy on everything, including his pancakes. If love could be eaten, I’ll bet he’d prefer it with gravy on top. And I’d have to agree. Love would taste better with gravy.” ― Jarod Kintz

Live simply, laugh often, love deeply.

by guest blogger Lori Dyck

When was the last time you were given an opportunity?

Ok.

When was the last time you took an opportunity.

See, if you wait for them.. they may never come. Today I took one and I’m so glad I did.

I wanted so badly to go to RAW:almond restaurant this winter.  When a friend tried to book us in for dinner this year and told me that it was sold out I was incredibly disappointed. RAW:almond, a unique winter dining experience on the river at the Forks in Winnipeg is only open for a short time… and it’s tough to get in. A few weeks ago I received an email invitation from Sara Comrie who organizes an informal group I belong to called the Media Mavens. I hadn’t attended a Media Mavens get together in some time due to family commitments, but when I saw the subject line from Sara that said “Register now for an exclusive RAW:almond lunch on the river!”, I said, “I’m in!”.

I didn’t know the guest speaker Susan Krepart before walking into the luncheon. I’m now so glad I’ve heard her story. She talked about exactly what brought me to the luncheon in the first place. Seizing opportunity. Susan was the woman who single-handedly organized the Magnus Hay Formula Drive when she heard that Winnipeg Harvest didn’t have enough for their Hunger for Hope program last Christmas. And by organized I mean, she drove all over the city picking up donations and stored them in her dining room. Oh THAT Susan! Of course I had heard of her! She’s a Manitoba Hero, after all!

Susan’s message resonated with me.

“We often think and feel a lot and don’t do anything about it.”

We don’t have the time, we don’t have extra money to give, right? But when it comes down to it, like Susan said:

“Babies going hungry in Winnipeg is unacceptable.”

For the occasional formula I gave my own babies, I know how expensive it is! Many Winnipeg families depend on Winnipeg Harvest’s Hunger for Hope program to feed their babies and for many, formula is the only option. Susan undoubtedly inspired every single person that attended the luncheon today, which was organized by the Women in Communications and Technology (WCT).

RAW:almond was actually the perfect setting for today’s event. Not only because the food is amazing but because of what the restaurant is about. Chef Mandel Hitzer, co-creator of the pop-up restaurant explained to our group why he started this concept in the first place: to bring people together, to share food and stories. Mission accomplished, I’d say.

Media Maven co-ordinator Sara Comrie with RAW: almond creator and chef Mandel Hitzer

Oh, and the food! You can’t go to RAW:almond and not brag about the food you just ate! Our lunch was served family-style along the wood-topped table runner. Plates of roasted beets, parsnips, radishes topped with a yogurt dressing and fresh dill, arugula salad with asparagus and bulgur, and deliciously seasoned skin-on chicken topped with baked fries. So good. Glad I took this opportunity to have lunch with these women today, to check out this fabulous Winnipeg restaurant and to hear Susan’s story. I left full and inspired.

If you have been wondering how you are going to get through the next long stretch of winter in Winnipeg, the folks at the RBC Convention Centre can help you out. The ever expanding convention centre is once again presenting Mardi Gras on February 13^th & 14^th, 2015.

At the Mardi Gras preview held recently, we sampled Peel and Eat Shrimp, fabulously Freshly Shucked Oysters, Pulled Pork Poh Boys, Deep-Fried Pickles and French Quarter Gumbo-all terrific.

There are two new and fantastic menu items this year. The Louisiana Style Shrimp with Pasta is an assembly of gulf shrimp prepared “Etouffee” (meaning smothered) style in a spicy Creole blend with lots of garlic, a rich stock and a gumbo style roux. Also new was the Chicken and Andouille Creole on Blacked Eye Pea Rice Pilaf. Both were satisfyingly hearty with complex tastes.

Bourbon Street Jambalaya has made a return visit. The chefs at the Convention Centre make their version chocked full of shrimp, chorizo sausage, blackened chicken, tomatoes, bell peppers, rice and okra.

My favourite of the evening was yet to come. The Basin St. Bread Pudding with raisins and bananas was appropriately laced with a Bourbon Caramel Sauce.

Tickets for Mardi Gras 2015 are available at Ticketmaster.ca .  Besides the authentic cuisine, entertainment is provided all night long by Dwayne Dopsie and the Zydeco Hellraisers. New for 2015 is the Living Statue- “The Plasterman” from Vancouver and The Lindsays, direct from Alberta, who are predicted to thrill audiences with their circus-like abilities which include sword swallowing. Winnipeg’s Undeadnewlyweds will risk life and limb when they perform machete juggling…blindfolded!

Mardi Gras 2015 promises many authentic dishes and terrific entertainment to get you off of that couch and out of the house.

Kath’s quote: “When the stomach is full, it is easy to talk of fasting.”-Saint Jerome (347-420)

Live simply, laugh often, love deeply.

With the esteemed judges.

The life of a professional foodie is simply marvelous (forgive me-I just watched Downtown Abbey) with invitations to special events and restaurant openings. One such event stands taller than the rest. That was when I was invited to be a black box judge at Winnipeg’s first PEI Shellfish Festival sponsored by the good folks at WOW! Hospitality.

I cannot give you a whole lot of detail about the Chefs (this photo was taken by someone else) because being an impartial judge means being kept in the dark about some specific details, but I can tell you this-many of the stars of the Winnipeg culinary scene were rumoured to be in the house. We were asked to grade an appetizer and an entrée from each of six chefs. Marks were allocated for presentation (after all-we first “eat” with our eyes) and then most significantly on taste. With the former, we considered portion size, colour, artistry, originality and that the item from the box had been utilized in the recipe. With the latter: texture, degree of doneness and balanced tastes and seasonings were all considerations.

Here is a pictorial recounting of my morning in the order that they came off of my camera, beginning with the appetizers (Please note-I was unsuccessful in reacquiring my notes from the event so some photos may be entrees when they were intended to be apps and vice versa):

The entrees:

Can you spot the winners?

After each of the appetizers and entrees were tasted and evaluated, the judges met to compare our tally sheets and share our comments.  The exchange was passionate as is the case, in my opinion, when exceptional food is involved. In the end the standings were determined with only a single point determining third place.

Of the many day’s highlights was chatting with PEI’s fisherman about the qualities of Bar Clams, which I had never tasted before. I learned first hand how the depreciation of the cod supplies has actually bolstered the shellfish industry. D and I are crazy about shellfish of all descriptions. Some of you know that our trip to Boston and Cape Cod was cut short last September. We would sure love to visit PEI!

We have traveled the world to eat seafood and Canada has the most amazing product we have ever tasted! We lunched on …mussels (of course) at Ard Bia at Nimmos in Galway City where we had attended the Annual Galway Food Festival.

I also chatted extensively with Liam Dolan (the handsome judge to the far right of the photo) who is the originator of the annual Shellfish Festival in PEI. He also owns an Irish Pub in Charlottetown and hails from Galway-an amazing Irish city that D and I loved visiting.

The remains of the day.

That evening at the fabulous PEI Kitchen Party held at 295 York, the awards went to: 3rd- Red River College instructor Luc Jean, 2nd-Kelly Andreas – Delta Hotel with top honours going to Gordon Bailey-  Red River College Patterson Global Institute.

Gord Bailey wins the opportunity to travel to PEI this September to compete in the 20th Birthday Bash of the PEI Shellfish Festival. I can’t wait to see how he fares against Canada’s top chefs.

Kath’s quote: “Do not overcook this dish. Most seafoods…should be simply threatened with heat and then celebrated with joy.” –Jeff Smith

Live simply, laugh often, love deeply.