Our last couple of chocolates are waiting to be consumed and then, we will be holiday-treat free. It has been a lengthy process as D’s Mom gave us an entire box of cookies and fudge and another of Reed’s candy (a family tradition). Boo’s chocolate cherries are in the fridge, stashed away for a very, very special time. D has the sweet tooth in our house which he is willing to offset by waking at 5:15 am to head for the gym. Me, not so much….

On the other hand, I have a salty tooth. I get a craving whenever we sit down to watch a Jet’s game or one of our favourite Netflix TV series. Typically, a zip loc of spicy, homemade “nuts and bolts” is waiting for me in the freezer but with the busyness of the holiday season, I have not had the opportunity to muster up a batch.

Thank heaven for popcorn! We air-pop ours now that we know that the additives in micro-wave popcorn are a no-no. This way we can control the amount of fat and salt that we are consuming. But sometimes the Jet’s game is too close or we are too wrapped in in the villainy of Frank and Clare, to want to get the popper out. That is when it is nice to have a bagged snack at the ready.

Popcorn Indiana recently sent me two of their products to sample. Their Original Movie Theater (their spelling, not mine) tastes just like the big screen version  but with two added bonuses 1) it does not cost $20 including that extra large soft drink and skittles that you don’t even want and 2) it is made with the simplest of ingredients: popcorn, canola oil, clarified butter and salt. There are even instructions on the back of the bag as to how to heat it up (in the mic) if you so desire. I emptied the bag in a couple of sittings. One of my big thrills now that we are empty nesters and D is not always home for supper, is eating popcorn with a glass of wine as my meal, making me feel mischievous and naughty.

In keeping with our resolutions for the new year, Popcorn Indiana also produces a “fit” version. On New Year’s day when D and I watched a marathon of “Newsroom” it was our sustenance. As the promo material indicates:

The skinny on fit: All the taste and crunch you crave, nothing artificial and…here’s the best part…only 40 calories or less per cup. All the taste without the guilt trip.

The delectable treat is available at Loblaw’s (assuming this means Superstore in Winnipeg), Sobey’s and Shoppers Drug Mart. We can’t wait to try the olive & black pepper and the parmesan & rosemary versions.

Kath’s quote: “Have you ever pondered the miracle of popcorn? It starts out as a tiny, little, compact kernel with magic trapped inside that when agitated, bursts to create something marvelously desirable. It’s sort of like those tiny, little thoughts trapped inside an author’s head that―in an excited explosion of words―suddenly become a captivating fairytale!” ― Richelle E. Goodrich

Live simply, laugh often, love deeply.

 

Whenever a blog post is created, it is numbered and so I knew that this milestone has been coming for a couple of months. I wanted this post to be monumental in some way.  I have created more than one draft and then known that it was not what I wanted to say. In the end, it all comes down to this: love. Hokey, I know. But “love” is what I want to share and celebrate on this frigid day. In no particular order, this is what I love:

I love all of my in-laws.

I love to read. I love The Number One Ladies Detective Agency, The Mitford Books, everything by Marlena de Blassi, culinary fiction, anything about Mexico, Italy and France.

I love to curl up and watch TV with D: the Jets, Survivor, Amazing Race and Amazing Race Canada, Suits, Newsroom, Downton Abbey, Call the Midwife, Homeland, House of Cards and House Hunters International (actually I watch this last one after D has instantly fallen asleep).

I love artichokes, eggplant, potatoes, crusty bread, pork chops, lime, cilantro, truffles and  feta cheese.

I love the people (friends) that I work for and with.

I love to travel and am looking forward to one day seeing Prague, the Isle of Man, Tuscany, Spain and returning to Italy, Greece, Israel and France.

I love my husband. After 30 years, I still get excited to know that he is on his way home from work. He kisses me every morning as he gets out of bed even when I am still asleep and he kisses me each night before he instantly falls asleep. He writes me love notes and works diligently so that I know that I am cherished.

I love my daughter and son-in-law and their parents and their siblings.

I love the Wee One. Oh. how I love her! I have known what fierce love is like before but the love of a grandchildren is a wonderful mystery that I am still coming to understand.

I love my Mom. I love her sense of humour. I love the pleasure that food gives her. I love her pride and passion for her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren.

I love my sisters. They are and always have been, my best friends. They know everything about me-warts and all. They have helped us raise our family, traveled with me and share my passion for food.

I love my brothers and miss the one we lost on earth, each and every day.

I love that my siblings all still live in the same city and that their children and grandchildren live here too (with one exception but I love her just as intensely). I love that we want to be together at Lester Beach or on Isla Mujeres.

I love Lester Beach. I love collecting heart shaped stones on the beach, sipping wine whilst watching the sun set, the communal bonfires, happy hours, dinners shared, eating freshly caught pickerel, walking in the woods, riding my turquoise bike, enormous breakfasts shared on the deck, the crackling fire in the woodstove and the cooling breezes which blow across our bed.

I love Isla Mujeres. I love that it is a single plane ride away and that I can leave in the early morning and be there by lunch time. I love watching the sunrise over the water from my bed or wrapping up in a pareo, grabbing a cup of coffee and sitting to wait for its appearance. I love the locals and the fellow travelers that I have met there. I love a particular Mexican family that we have befriended. I love that they invite us to their home. I love Isla’s food! I love escaping to the warmth. I love collecting beach glass and the crashing waves. I love that the constellations look different there. I love the familiarity of being on the little island; of knowing where to fetch the staples for our temporary kitchen, which market stall has the best avocadoes and limes, where to buy the cheapest cervesas, Kahlua and rum. I love the turquoise sea.

In fact, I love everything turquoise.

I love my five Godchildren.

I love my bestie M, who does not live in Winnipeg but who whenever I speak to her or see her, feels like she is still just down the block.

I love the Media Mavens-a group of woman, some of whom I have worked with for over 20 years.

I love my foodie friends, in Manitoba, throughout Canada and the US.

I love my church and my church family. I love the twenty year history that we have shared together, experiencing each other’s victories and defeats.

I love my neighbours. We watch out for each other and share our joys and tough times.

I love my neighbourhood. I love the exceptional restaurants all within walking distance: Fusion Grill, Saucer’s Café, Kudara, Inferno’s, Pizzeria Gusto, Bonfire Bistro, Chew, Enoteca, Mona Lisa, Bernstein’s Deli.

I love my city. I love the rivers and the parks and trails that lie adjacent to them. I love walking over the Provencher St. bridge, past the Canadian Human Rights Museum and into St. Boniface to hear French spoken and eat its amazing food.

I love our little house. It is not luxurious, it is not pristine, it is not new. But it is cozy, comfortable, warm and well located. There is lots of room in the yard to host summer gatherings, tend to my perennial garden and have a little pond.

I love this country. I love our gentleness, dignity, loyalty, diversity and how great we play hockey.

I love our children. I love that they love to be with us. I love that they all live within 10 minutes of us. I could fill an entire blog post with all things I love about them but I will leave that for another day.

One thousand words in this 1000th post. Thank you for reading and your continued support.

Love-that is all.

 

Many years ago, 21 to be exact, we were told by good friends about a unique ethnic restaurant on Sargent Ave. where they serve a soup with a crispy shrimp pancake floating on top. That was enough incentive for us to make the visit back then and sure enough, the Hu Tieu Nam Vang is still on the menu today. We appreciated the silky broth dotted with fresh cilantro leaves. The shrimp pancake satiated both my love of crunchy food and my passion for potatoes. The pancake was close to a potato pancake or latke. In addition to this treat, there were slices of pork, crab, more shrimp and satisfying rice noodles floating in the broth.

Speaking of noodles-have you ever wondered why Asian cuisine refers to the fine rice noodles by an obviously Italian name? Vermicelli literally means “little worms” but generally refers to the size of the noodle being thinner than spaghetti. Vermicelli in Italy is made from wheat flour whereas in Asia, it is fashioned from rice flour. In Vietnamese cuisine, the noodles are called “bun”.

Therefore, when we selected a bowl of noodles with pork balls, spring roll pieces, shrimp, crispy pork slices, shredded lettuce, bean sprouts, julienned cucumber and mint, it too was called “bun”-in this case “Bun Thap Cam”or Deluxe Vermicelli. This is my favourite Vietnamese dish which I order whenever I get the opportunity, sometimes as a cool, summer lunch.

We got somewhat adventurous with our third selection, choosing shrimp (again) sautéed with onions and carrots in coconut juice and fiery spices. The shrimp was perfectly cooked, that is just slightly so that it retained a satisfying crunch when bitten into. The sauce was so divine that had we a basket of bread, we would have torn off pieces to soak it up. Rice also does a great job of absorbing sauces and so we employed the bowl which had been delivered to the table earlier.

We discovered as we settled our bill that the original family whom owned Viva on our first visit in 1993, still owns it today but is has been passed along to the next generation, namely amicable son Phuong Nguyen.

Whilst searching for a “noodles” quotation, I found this one regarding “nincompoops”.  The latter was one of my Dad’s favourite expression when we ( his kids) weren’t behaving….

Kath’s quote: “….it is possible to exaggerate and to be duped by gastronomic nincompoops who write of gourmets with a sense of taste so refined that they can tell whether a fish was caught under or between the bridges, and distinguish by its superior flavor the thigh on which the partridge leans while asleep.”-Angelo Pellegrini

Live simply, laugh often, love deeply.

D and I have spent more than 30 Christmases together.  For many reasons this Christmas was the one that we have always dreamed of spending together.  December 25ths were fun when our brood were growing-up but they were hectic with trying to be everywhere that we were expected to be and melt-downs would occur as a result of naps missed and too many sweets consumed. D in particular, has worked very hard to ensure that we have a time just for our immediately family in spite of the fact that we both come from very large extended families.  This year, for the very first time in many decades, we had five glorious hours together on Christmas day.

In spite of the pile that you see here, we were reminded again this year that it is not all about the gifts. In fact, we try to give our family experiences rather than things, but sometimes “things” provide the way to great experiences. Case in point, we gave the Wee One a mini version of an upholstered easy chair with tiny plaid cushions and a fuzzy throw so that she could enjoy hours of reading her books until she outgrows it.

J1’s special gift was a pot, not just any old pot but a specially designed one so that he can carefully hone his beer making passion. Well, you get the picture. In truth, the Wee One grew frustrated with the process of opening gifts and reminded us anew that it is hugging a familiar teddy, or reading a well-loved book that brings real joy.

We have rarely been able to fit around our small dining table and I loved being able to fancy it up with second hand china, D’s Grandma’s napkins, some pops of colour from the dollar store and Christmas crackers, a must-do since Sister #3 introduced them to us, years ago.

The table was laden with a conglomeration of traditions and favourite foods:

The Frenchman contacted his mom for her tortiere recipe, a French Canadian tradition that is now a part of our dinner repertoire. I knew that I had to make “Green Bean Casserole” that is an old family favourite but I have invented a modification that no longer calls for a can of cream of mushroom soup.

Sister #3 who joined us when we called everyone to the dinner table, contributed her Duchess Potatoes-a heavenly concoction of potatoes, egg yolks and nutmeg.

There were plenty of fresh green veggies and a kale salad because we understand the art of a balanced diet.

The piece de resistance was D’s roast crown of pork. It is called a crown because it is a rib rack that is bent into a circle and then tied together with kitchen twine. If you tie two racks together there is enough room in the centre of the circle to pack it with your favourite fruit stuffing. Inside this single rack were the meatiest portions of the loin with no room for stuffing. You typically have to special order one from a butcher shop but I was in luck, when just before Christmas, I walked into my neighbourhood Sobey’s and sought out the butcher to place an order. He replied saying that he had one already made up and it was exactly the size that we required for our gang. In the morning, D had made a variety of deep slits into the meat where he inserted plenty of shards of garlic. He then pressed fresh rosemary into the crown and allowed it to be permeated by the flavours while we headed out for Christmas brunch. It slow roasted while we were opening gifts and filled our home with the most amazing and festive aroma.

He allowed the crown to “rest” while we put the finishing touches on the rest of the dishes and then “frenched” the roast by cutting it into single pork-chop looking slices-exactly what they are!

 

I was able to talk a chef into sharing his restaurant’s recipe of real ginger bread with a salted toffee sauce. Made with pureed ginger and lots of cloves, I can’t say more, except that it return on next year’s table.

What made this particular Christmas so special? we are healthy (physically, mentally and spiritually), we are happy and we are prosperous, that is if you consider “prosperity” to mean “flourishing” with time to spend showing each other how much they are loved.

Kath’s quote: “Fall on your knees! O hear the angel voices!” (from ‘O Holy Night’)

Hearing this each Christmas gives me the shivers (more so if Josh Groban is singing it)-the idea that a moment is so divinely profound that it literally sends us spiralling to the ground! The phrase describes a pulse-racing moment, and creates the same reaction in me.

Love, came down from heaven.

 

 

Manitoba has long been home to the “social” and so I think that it is befitting that Brown’s Social House has finally arrived. I say “finally” because the venture started in Langley BC (home of my friend and The Keg originator George Tidball) in 2004 and has steadily made its way east. D has visited the concept in Yorkton and Moose Jaw and has had good things to say. A group of my fellow bloggers visited just before Christmas while I was in the middle of a teaching gig, so I had to pass on the invite.  Needless to say, I had been long anticipating my visit and I as not disappointed.

We hadn’t made note of the exact address before we left home and thought for sure that the Transcona restaurant would be on Nairn or Regent Ave., failing these, we guessed Lagamodiere. So we were surprised to find it tucked away on Plessis Ave. D grew up in Transcona, yet we haven’t made the little trip out there in quite some time, so we were surprised with how much the neighbourhood has changed with new businesses popping up all over the place.

The location of the restaurant was intentional by Brown’s. They typically gravitate to smaller cities or suburban neighbourhoods rather than “destination” restaurants. They’re strategy is paying off. We did not expect to find the room busy on a frigid evening, the Monday after Christmas with a Jets game being played at the MTS Centre, but the place was almost full when we departed at 6:30. The space is wide open with high ceilings and may have a tendency to get noisy, typically the kind of place that the “grey set” might avoid. Given the showing last evening, this is not the case as there were many couples and groups, sharing pizzas or plates of dry wings and ribs (their early bird special). I predict that the demographics of the crowd grow younger as the evening wears on. This is a brilliant marketing strategy, ensuring that the place is always operating at capacity.

Many years ago D and I were in Boston and became familiar with the location of the bar that inspired “Cheers”.  If you recall, there was a central bar near the entrance so that bartenders and servers could greet Norm when he walked through the door. This is precisely the atmosphere that Brown’s is going for calling their barkeeps “hostenders”.

We enjoyed a couple of the bar’s most popular cocktails: a Traditional Mojito and a Bourbon Smash, the latter concocted with Woodford Reserve (which I am told is an exceptional bourbon), raspberry and cranberry juices.

But, onto the exceptional food. Here’s’ a quote from the founder of Brown’s: “We serve fresh, lively, flavourful food in a room that is fun, energetic and designed to be as comfortable as my living room…but without the dog hair”. Fresh, lively, flavourful is spot on. We started by sharing a couple of appetizers:

1) the Dynamite Roll which we enjoyed but were trying to save our appetites so I took the leftovers to my Mom who loves sushi, but not before I removed the spicy lemongrass dip which would have proved to be a bit much for a 87 year old and

2) Lime Pepper Grilled Halibut which was really sensational. Many menus shy away from serving halibut now a days because of its dear price.  Browns’ respects the product by surrounding it with a taco that is made with a blend of flour and corn so that it is firm and slightly crunchy but not too gritty. The tomato cumin rice doesn’t typically go with the appetizer portion but was a taste treat in itself. The premise-made salsa, pico de gallo and chunky guacamole placed the dish at a precipice, the liberal use of freshly squeezed lime juice in this (and many other dishes) put it over the top!

I am glad that we paced ourselves as my favourite dish was yet to come. D and I shared the Hollywood Burger and the Dragon Chicken Bowl. The latter was an intentional contrasts of flavours, colours and textures-the sweetness from teriyaki sauce with the smooth but spicy cayenne yoghurt, the luxurious jasmine coconut rice and crunchy wok vegetables, the gorgeous purple pickled cabbage and the fire-engine red peppers.

I enjoyed the old-school taste of the burger and was really impressed by the butter glazed brioche that it was served in. The glistening surface of the bun was like biting through satin. Inside was a burger of ground chuck and cheddar cheese placed on top of crunchy iceberg lettuce and tomato, so that it didn’t slide around as you took a bite.

For me the piece de resistance were the “HCDC” fries-hand cut, double cooked! Made from the very best potato for frying, that is Kennebec potatoes, they are cooked once to bring out the natural sugars and starches and then a second time to ensure that the treat is crispy on the outside but soft and fuzzy on the inside. 529 Wellington also serves this potato variety, so that says something about the quality of Brown’s choice.

I was perfectly satiated when the Oreo Jar arrived at our table. I don’t typically eat desert but batted D’s spoon away so that I would be sure to get a taste. The cheesecake layer was lighter than most with the introduction of equal parts whipped cream with the cream cheese. The little jarful of yumminess was not too sweet either-my kind of desert.

We felt very well cared for by Chef Michael Joss who came in on his day off to look after us. We found out while chatting with Assistant Manager Meagan that she and General Manager Beau are also chefs. This makes so much sense when a “house” is built around great food, lovingly prepared. We’ll be back, perhaps on another Monday to taste the Charred Pepperoni Pizza on special for $9.

Kath’s quote: “Brown’s is more than a restaurant, it is a place to be welcomed, remembered and indulged, with a standard for service and food that will leave you feeling exceptional and satisfied, every time.” -Scott Morrison, founder

Live simply, laugh often, love deeply.