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"A gourmet who thinks of calories is like a tart who looks at her watch." - James Beard


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Thursday, August 28, 2014

Tart of the Month - Plum with Honey & Black Pepper


I know I've been taking the easy route with these tarts of the month, but this is the easiest one of all!  Just a few ingredients make a sweet and sour tart an a sprinkling of Maldon salt and black pepper add a savoury twist.



This recipe is from Bon Appetit and makes six tarts.  They look and taste fancy enough for company but they only take a few minutes to throw together and bake.

Here's what you need:



Monday, August 25, 2014

Road Trip - Neon Boneyard, Las Vegas



We have been to Las Vegas plenty of times.  Sometimes people ask us why we keep going back instead of somewhere new.  We travel to plenty of other places, but we keep going back to Vegas because it can be something new every time you go!  Besides the casinos and great restaurants, there are so many things to see and do.  From dune buggies in the desert to world-class spas to learning about the history of Las Vegas.  

I just got back from another trip to Vegas and visited a place I've wanted to see for a long time - the Neon Boneyard.  


Las Vegas has a long history of using neon lights to attract gamblers, but it also has a history of imploding old hotels to make room for newer ones.  The Neon Museum has started to save and restore some of the old neon signs from these hotels and display them as part of Vegas history.


I love this stuff.  Only a few of the signs have been completely restored.  Most are in various states of disrepair.  But the desert sunset and the outdoor museum lighting makes them look very dramatic.

Sunday, August 17, 2014

The Beer Baron - Forest City Beer Fest

This post courtesy of Matt, the Beer Baron.


London’s Forest City Beer Fest was held on Saturday, August 10th and despite intermittent showers, there was a great turnout. Now in its third year – and first being held at the Covent Garden Market downtown – the Beer Fest was organized by Aaron Brown, who pulled together a great day of craft beers, food trucks, beer seminars, cooking classes and local vendors.


I started the day with an English Bitter called Elvis Has Left the Building, the official beer of the festival. I’ll let Aaron share the back story:
“Once upon a time, I worked with Peter Fowler, and English brewer located near Oxford. The brewery was called Pitstop and all of the beers had an automotive theme. My favourite beer we brewed was called On The Button, named after driver Jenson Button who raced for the Williams F1 team located just down the street from the brewery.
The beer has been given a new name on this side of the Ocean, but it is a faithful recreation of Peter's original English Bitter.”

Wednesday, August 13, 2014

Fish Tacos


We have sought out fish tacos wherever we can get them on our travels.  They're a favourite of ours, so we decided to try them at home.  These are so easy and versatile,  You can use any kind of fish and an assortment of toppings.  



For our first try, we used tilapia.  It's a very mild fish that works well on the grill.  We sprinkled the fish with taco seasoning (cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, cayenne and salt), and grilled it for about 3-4 minutes per side until firm and opaque.

Friday, August 8, 2014

Road Trip: Detroit


Last week we took a trip to Detroit.  Detroit is about two hours from home, about the same distance as Toronto, but in the opposite direction.  When we travel we usually fly from the Detroit airport and we've been to restaurants downtown and shopping in the suburbs plenty of times, but this was our first time staying overnight downtown and walking around the city.

We were there to see Jack White in concert at the Masonic Temple theatre, so we decided to spend about 24-hours in Detroit for the concert.  I have to admit, we were a little nervous at first.  People seem to think Detroit's not safe.  I'd read online that it is perfectly safe to walk around the downtown area, but we'd never done it and didn't know our way around. 


Monday, August 4, 2014

Roasted Beet Salad with Creamy Jalapeño Dressing


Lately in our CSA basket we've been getting a lot of golden beets. They taste pretty much the same as red beets but they don't make as much of a mess when you peel and chop them.  This salad makes use of the pretty contrast between the red and golden beets and adds some creamy, spicy dressing to the mix.



Here's what you need for this salad: