Peanut Butter Kiss Blossoms
Maple Chocolate Chip Shortbread
Baby Bûche de Noël Cookies
And my very first madeleines, thanks to Michael and my brand new madeleine pan!
Merry Christmas to all and to all a Happy New Year!
28 December 2011
18 December 2011
In Loving Memory
Last week, the world suffered the loss of the greatest woman I have ever known, my Granny. Typewritten words cannot convey how wonderful she was or express how sad I am. How sad we all are. She touched the lives of so many and made our world beautiful.
But lucky for us, we have each other. Over the last 60 years, Granny and Pop created a loving, strong, close-knit family who will support each other forever. We will carry Granny with us wherever we go. And I can guarantee that every cup of tea sipped, every apple pie made and enjoyed, every kind, thoughtful deed carried out by us will be the legacies of Granny.
 |
| Granny and Pop on their wedding day, 9/8/51 |
But lucky for us, we have each other. Over the last 60 years, Granny and Pop created a loving, strong, close-knit family who will support each other forever. We will carry Granny with us wherever we go. And I can guarantee that every cup of tea sipped, every apple pie made and enjoyed, every kind, thoughtful deed carried out by us will be the legacies of Granny.
 |
| Granny and Me, 1988 |
I was blessed to have her as my Grandma. I couldn't have wished for better. She is the perfect role model, and I will be happy to spend the rest of my life striving to live up to her generous, compassionate, selfless, gentle, lovely memory.
 |
| J.A.G, February 25, 1932 - December 13, 2011 |
08 December 2011
Feelin' Dapper
We saw Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings at the Music Hall of Williamsburg last night. They were extraordinary! Real, talented performers. Ms. Jones has an incredible, full voice, a fitting complement to larger than life stage presence. Her playfulness with the crowd is genuine and shines through in her smile. What a lady!
 |
| We were this close! (photo courtesy of Mike) |
And the Dap Kings? They killed it. The sharp, blaring brass/woodwind section had me in awe. The conga drum player never tired. The bass, drums, keyboard, guitars... all of them, oozing musical talent. Makes me want to pick up my instrument again and start a band.
Check them out. Guaranteed to keep you dancing past your bedtime!
21 November 2011
Get Well Soon Bread
I'm on vacation. Thanksgiving vacation: ain't nothin' better. This week I will be trying out a couple new recipes for Thursday's meal, including pumpkin gnocchi with sage brown butter and maple chocolate chip shortbread. I am looking forward to the latter because I just got my hands on some maple sugar from the Union Square Green Market last week and I can't wait to use it! As for the former, pumpkin + sage + butter = alright in my book. I'm also excited to share these cider caramels I picked up over the weekend at the Bedford Cheese Shop with the folks at home.
But before all that, I have one important thing to bake.
For going on 4 weeks now, my dear, dear Grandma has been in the hospital at NYU. She is quite a trooper. Lucky for us, Granny is scheduled to come home on Wednesday! And on Thursday, we will be able to celebrate and give thanks for another year with this special woman who has cared for us, cooked for us, given generously to us, made the world wonderful for us - and continues to do so each day.
On my visit last week I brought this bread made with applesauce and 3 very ripe bananas my Pop gave me. Granny enjoyed it so that I thought I'd make it again for her to have throughout the last days of her stay at the hospital. It is the very least I can do for my lady.
This time around I did not have readily-ripe bananas, but I did have half a can of pumpkin puree left from my oatmeal breakfast. So with pumpkin and spices subbed in for the 'nanners, I came up with this Thanksgiving-week-appropriate bread. I hope she likes it!
Sugar-free Quick Bread made with Applesauce
Makes 1 loaf
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups flour, I used 1 cup all-purpose and 1/2 cup whole wheat
1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice mix (cinnamon, ginger, allspice, nutmeg)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 egg
1/4 cup melted butter
1/2 cup applesauce
1 teaspoon vanilla
About 1 cup (or more) pumpkin puree, I used about 3/4 of a 15 oz. can. Bananas also work well. You want something that will contribute some moistness.
1/2 cup roughly chopped hazelnuts, or any nut of your choosing
Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 375 F.
2. Grease your loaf pan.
3. Mix all ingredients in a large mixing bowl until they come together.
4. Pour into your greased loaf pan and spread evenly.
5. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until a knife or toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
And voila! Quick and easy. Not your average pumpkin bread, it's fluffier and less sweet, but still super tasty. Have a slice or two with a cup of tea, just the way Granny does.
But before all that, I have one important thing to bake.
For going on 4 weeks now, my dear, dear Grandma has been in the hospital at NYU. She is quite a trooper. Lucky for us, Granny is scheduled to come home on Wednesday! And on Thursday, we will be able to celebrate and give thanks for another year with this special woman who has cared for us, cooked for us, given generously to us, made the world wonderful for us - and continues to do so each day.
On my visit last week I brought this bread made with applesauce and 3 very ripe bananas my Pop gave me. Granny enjoyed it so that I thought I'd make it again for her to have throughout the last days of her stay at the hospital. It is the very least I can do for my lady.
This time around I did not have readily-ripe bananas, but I did have half a can of pumpkin puree left from my oatmeal breakfast. So with pumpkin and spices subbed in for the 'nanners, I came up with this Thanksgiving-week-appropriate bread. I hope she likes it!
A one-bowl operation
Sugar-free Quick Bread made with Applesauce
Makes 1 loaf
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups flour, I used 1 cup all-purpose and 1/2 cup whole wheat
1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice mix (cinnamon, ginger, allspice, nutmeg)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 egg
1/4 cup melted butter
1/2 cup applesauce
1 teaspoon vanilla
About 1 cup (or more) pumpkin puree, I used about 3/4 of a 15 oz. can. Bananas also work well. You want something that will contribute some moistness.
1/2 cup roughly chopped hazelnuts, or any nut of your choosing
Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 375 F.
2. Grease your loaf pan.
3. Mix all ingredients in a large mixing bowl until they come together.
4. Pour into your greased loaf pan and spread evenly.
5. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until a knife or toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
And voila! Quick and easy. Not your average pumpkin bread, it's fluffier and less sweet, but still super tasty. Have a slice or two with a cup of tea, just the way Granny does.
20 November 2011
08 November 2011
Spooky, scary!
Halloween was a week ago, yes, but it lingers as the Jack-o-lantern still sits on our balcony and I am still finishing off our candy supply. And shoot! I am just too proud of my first carving creation not to share. So here he is:
Took a few re-draws to finally get his big evil eyes and snarling mouth right. I do not claim to be an artist.
Skilled, precision knife-work by Dexter (aka Michael).
Pumpkin guts and seeds we didn't even bother to roast!
Can't blame us too much, though. We were simultaneously working on this beaut:
Whole wheat pizza with roasted eggplant sauce,crumbled hot Italian sausage and fresh mozzarella, topped with crispy sage leaves.
The finished product...
Bikeless AND headless!
So until next Halloween, stay spooky and scary, my friends. And stay tuned for my next long-form post on Berlin!
04 November 2011
Montreal Microbrews
I recently recovered these shots from Michael's phone. They are of the beers we had during our market lunch on our bike tour of Montreal. From the Dieu du Ciel microbrewery, they had simply beautiful label artwork!
He had the "Rescousse" (to the rescue), an Altbier.
I the Rosée d'hibiscus, a blonde wheat beer.
Happy weekend, everyone. Cheers!
30 October 2011
Saganaki!
Do yourself a favor - find your nearest Greek restaurant and order this salty, crispy pan-fried cheese appetizer. You will not regret it.
You may even dream of new ways to serve that block of cheese. No doubt it is tasty all by itself on a plate. But Michael had visions of something grander. Last week, his dreams of a saganaki burger finally came true.
Spiced lamb burger on a toasted bun, topped with pan-seared Halloumi cheese. Served with kale sauteed in garlic and dressed with balsamic and soy.
Saganaki burger.
29 October 2011
Rainy Fall Morning, Pumpkin Pancakes
It is actually a snowy Fall morning now. The forecast warned me, I didn't want to believe it, but it sure is coming down out there. Anyway, when I woke up this morning it was rainy and the perfect morning for pancakes.
As soon as Fall comes round, I develop an insatiable appetite for all things pumpkin. My desire for pumpkiny, cinnamony, spiced things is a year-round obsession, but it is heightened in the Fall, the mother season. In the Fall of my sophomore year of college, I was tipped off to the existence of pumpkin pancakes. Crazy, I know, but that marvelous creation had never crossed my mind before. College was doing a Grade A job of expanding my horizons. I spent that Fall futilely in search of the fabled breakfast treat. I have had them since, and they are magical. Golden orange cinnamon burst in your mouth. Thank you, Original Pancake House of West Caldwell, NJ. However, I have always spoken of them, planning on making them, waiting for the perfect morning to do so. A morning with the right combination of laziness, wakefulness, and willingness to wash the dishes afterwards, all with a quintessential Autumnal feel. I have put it off, saving myself for a day I knew would come. It arrived today.
Having read many pumpkin pancake recipes in preparation for when this fated day would come, I new that it included an additional step that most regular pancakes do not: beating egg whites to fold into the batter. Doing so gives these special griddle cakes a light, fluffy, delicate texture. I was worried because I do not have an electric hand-mixer, nor do I have the arm power to whisk egg whites into stiff peaks by hand. Oh, I long for the day when I become the owner of a Kitchenaid standing electric mixer! Lucky for me, Michael bought himself a food processor last year (which is a great tool to have). I whipped the whites in there for a few minutes. While it did not form those ideal, meringue-y peaks, it got the job done. Splendid.
The only other tweak to the original recipe I made was not using a pre-fab "pumpkin pie spice." When I make pumpkin pies and other pumpkin spice baked goods, I prefer to measure out my cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, allspice etc. to my liking. Today I used 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg and 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon. Kept it simple to let the pumpkin be star.
Pumpkin Pancakes
Makes about 6 medium-sized pancakes.
Ingredients
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon complimentary spices: cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, cloves. I used cinnamon and nutmeg only.
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk, I used the 2% we have currently.
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
2 large eggs, separated
2 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, make it a generous 1/2 teaspoon.
Instructions
1. In a large bowl, combine the flours, sugar, baking powder, spices, and salt.
2. In a separate bowl, stir together the milk, pumpkin, egg yolks, melted butter, and vanilla extract until smooth.
3. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, using a wooden spoon to stir until it just comes together.
4. In another separate bowl, beat the egg whites until thick and stiff. A food processor works nicely.
5. Gently fold the egg whites into the pumpkin mixture, being careful not to over-mix.
6. Meanwhile, heat a frying pan (I used cast iron) over medium heat and grease with butter.
7. Using a 1/3 cup measure to ladle into the pan, cook each pancake until lightly browned on each side.
Now that it's snowing it doesn't quite seem Autumnal anymore. It's October for crying out loud! I know retailers always start pushing Christmas this early each year, but you, Mother Nature?! Alas! I will, as I always do, hold fast to Fall.
As soon as Fall comes round, I develop an insatiable appetite for all things pumpkin. My desire for pumpkiny, cinnamony, spiced things is a year-round obsession, but it is heightened in the Fall, the mother season. In the Fall of my sophomore year of college, I was tipped off to the existence of pumpkin pancakes. Crazy, I know, but that marvelous creation had never crossed my mind before. College was doing a Grade A job of expanding my horizons. I spent that Fall futilely in search of the fabled breakfast treat. I have had them since, and they are magical. Golden orange cinnamon burst in your mouth. Thank you, Original Pancake House of West Caldwell, NJ. However, I have always spoken of them, planning on making them, waiting for the perfect morning to do so. A morning with the right combination of laziness, wakefulness, and willingness to wash the dishes afterwards, all with a quintessential Autumnal feel. I have put it off, saving myself for a day I knew would come. It arrived today.
Having read many pumpkin pancake recipes in preparation for when this fated day would come, I new that it included an additional step that most regular pancakes do not: beating egg whites to fold into the batter. Doing so gives these special griddle cakes a light, fluffy, delicate texture. I was worried because I do not have an electric hand-mixer, nor do I have the arm power to whisk egg whites into stiff peaks by hand. Oh, I long for the day when I become the owner of a Kitchenaid standing electric mixer! Lucky for me, Michael bought himself a food processor last year (which is a great tool to have). I whipped the whites in there for a few minutes. While it did not form those ideal, meringue-y peaks, it got the job done. Splendid.
The only other tweak to the original recipe I made was not using a pre-fab "pumpkin pie spice." When I make pumpkin pies and other pumpkin spice baked goods, I prefer to measure out my cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, allspice etc. to my liking. Today I used 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg and 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon. Kept it simple to let the pumpkin be star.
Pumpkin Pancakes
Makes about 6 medium-sized pancakes.
Ingredients
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon complimentary spices: cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, cloves. I used cinnamon and nutmeg only.
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk, I used the 2% we have currently.
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
2 large eggs, separated
2 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, make it a generous 1/2 teaspoon.
Instructions
1. In a large bowl, combine the flours, sugar, baking powder, spices, and salt.
2. In a separate bowl, stir together the milk, pumpkin, egg yolks, melted butter, and vanilla extract until smooth.
3. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, using a wooden spoon to stir until it just comes together.
4. In another separate bowl, beat the egg whites until thick and stiff. A food processor works nicely.
5. Gently fold the egg whites into the pumpkin mixture, being careful not to over-mix.
6. Meanwhile, heat a frying pan (I used cast iron) over medium heat and grease with butter.
7. Using a 1/3 cup measure to ladle into the pan, cook each pancake until lightly browned on each side.
They're that easy! Of course, as I am not the expertly adept chef I fancy myself to be, not all my pancakes come out perfectly. There is always the one flubbed flip.
Enjoy your short stack with a glass of apple cider (or OJ if you're a weirdo who doesn't like cider) for a simple yet special Fall breakfast.
Now that it's snowing it doesn't quite seem Autumnal anymore. It's October for crying out loud! I know retailers always start pushing Christmas this early each year, but you, Mother Nature?! Alas! I will, as I always do, hold fast to Fall.
25 October 2011
21 Degrees Centigrade and Sunny
Mentioned in my first post is a dinner over which it was decided that I was going to work on this project, and I do believe that is a very good place to start. My boyfriend Mike and I share many meals together, either cooking together or trying a new resto one of us finds. Some are fancier or healthier or more noteworthy than others, but all thoroughly enjoyed. Food and food-related outings will likely shape these posts, as food shapes many of our outings. At this particular supper we were concluding a long weekend getaway with a lavish meal at O'Thym, a rustically chic BYOW (bring your own wine) place in Montreal. Located closer than we imagined to our hotel on Boulevard de Maisonneuve, this restaurant was a terrific find and provided us with the perfect "last meal" experience. But I suppose I should cover the beginning and middle of the trip before I skip to the end.
Montreal has for a time been on my mental to-do list of destinations with the attached thought, "Oh, maybe I could whip out a few French phrases, pick up a baguette, and pretend I am once again in Paris." Je suis desolee, Montreal! How foolish I was. This city has no need for mimicking the capital of its motherland, nor do its visitors for wishing they were elsewhere. While holding onto the language of France and very much desiring to preserve a French cultural identity, Montreal shines as a perfect combination of European sensibility and Canadian amiability. What I mean is, Montreal does have the feel of a European city, there is no doubt about that. Yet it still feels much smaller, homier, and more laid back than Paris. Canadians are really nice, eh! I'm not trying to stereotype here. Our tour guide of the city, Jean-Michel, was the friendliest, most helpful man. He also said "eh" at the end of every sentence, be it declarative, exclamatory, interrogative or imperative. If I brush up on my language skills, I could spend a lot of time amongst these French Canadiens.
Mike and I took off the Friday and Monday of Columbus Day Weekend for this excursion to the North. It was a 3-night, 2-day stay book-ended by 2 days of travel. The drive itself was around 5 1/2 to 6 hours, a straight shot up I-87 all the way through New York State, which is beautiful this time of year. Although I had hoped this road trip would take us through winding, scenic trails of New England, the Catskills and Lake George/Placid/Champlain areas provided enough colorful foliage to make me happy.
Our hotel, we'd come to find, couldn't have been better located. We were in the Latin Quartier, a block away from a main Metro hub and two from one of the liveliest stretches in town, Rue Saint-Denis. After freshening up from the road, we ventured out for a stroll and dinner at Les Deux Gamins, a resto we found on Yelp. It was positively charmant. Seated outside of the Parisian styled bistro, we leisurely enjoyed a classic French supper. I began with escargots, all garlicky and in a sheen of warm butter; Mike chose the healthier, yet equally delicious (I take his word for it as I am not fan of salmon) salmon tartare garnished with lightly dressed salad greens. Our mains kept the same buttery vs. healthy (or -ier) theme: mine steak frites, his a pot of mussels. However, the mussel broth did have its fair share of butter, and made 2 baskets of bread disappear. Dessert came with theses prix-fixe menu choices, so how could we say no? Michael opted for profiteroles, a personal favorite of mine, while I went with a simple fruit crumble. With nowhere to rush, no schedule to meet, we stretched out a 3-course meal into the chilly night.
Saturday was brilliant. We grabbed a small breakfast, compliments of the hotel, and headed out to the Metro. Montreal's underground setup was great. It did remind me of DC's Metro a bit, specifically because of its high, patterned, clean ceilings. In this respect the two Metro systems stand in stark contrast to NYC's subway and its cramped, sewer-like tunnels we crawl into every day. I thank the MTA for getting me where I need to go, when I need to go, but sometimes the subway just makes me feel dirty. In any event, we disembarked at Mont Royal and walked in the early light to Fitz and Follwell cycle tours.
Planning for this weekend trip, I had known I wanted bicycles included in some way. I may be bikeless in Brooklyn, but it's not because I don't love bikes. In my mind, Michael and I would rent two bikes for the duration of our stay and traverse the entire city, seeing all there was to see. In reality, though we may have covered much road, we would never have experienced Montreal in the same way if we hadn't toured with these folks. It was an intimate, 4-hour "Montreal Highlights" tour comprised of twelve people, including the two guides. We were regaled with history, trivia, and culture while taking in the sights, beautiful weather, and easy-going street life of a Saturday morning in Montreal. Our charming guide Jean-Michel even took us to Atwater Market for gourmet pizza and local micro-brews. C'etait fantastique!
After that amazing stretch of the legs, we stopped back at the hotel for a brief rest. We decided to do a small dinner of brie, mesclun, and walnuts on baguette from Mamie Clafoutis, a darling little bakery serving perfect crusty bread. Our main outing of the night was to a beer bar, Vices et Versa. Michael and I are devoted lovers of the fermented grain, and our waistlines won't let us forget it. So he did his research and found this place. Cozy and inviting, quiet yet lively, Vices et Versa and its 25-beer deep draft list welcomed us out-of-towners like old friends. I won't bore you with the entire list of brews we had that night, but I assure you they were dizzyingly delightful.
If bikes were one thing I knew I wanted to do in Montreal, trying the city's bagels was the other. St. Viateur Bagel is THE place, I had heard. Mile End deli in Brooklyn even gets these bad boys delivered. Every day. And while they are no comparison to my beloved New York bagels, they were delish! Lighter and sweeter, with a larger center hole, they made the perfect sandwich bread for a turkey club. To be fair, since I didn't try one with cream cheese I can't say for sure if they aren't as good as New York. But I'm a creature of habit; I'll stick to the bagels I was raised on. Nevertheless, I'll surely pay a visit to Mile End for another taste. All carbo-loaded and ready to go, Michael and I drove out to the Jardin Botanique, a gorgeous patch of green...
yellow
orange
purple
red, and...
Celine Dion.
We ambled through the light sunshine and clean air in a quiet and peaceful afternoon.
I would be remiss if I did not note that we did try the poutine for lunch that day. Needless to say it was gluttonously delicious: a Canadian take on the disco fry, which this Jersey Girl could deeply appreciate.
And that brings us right back to the table at O'Thym. We had planned on going to Au Pied du Cochon so that Mike could get a duck in a can, but they were fresh out of reservations. With our hopes dashed, we turned to ever-trusty Yelp and settled on O'Thym. Excuse me, not settled, scored. Au Pied du Cochon can keep its pig parts as far as I'm concerned. From the moment we walked in the door, I knew we were in for a treat. It even reminded us of Brooklyn a bit, of a restaurant you might find on Smith Street. Our server was cheerful and helpful to us Anglophones, sensing that we could use the English version of the menu. We heard the specials and scoured the tantalizing offerings up and down before finally making up our minds. (It takes me a while to come to a decision, especially when it comes to menus.) As we waited for our orders and discussed blogs-to-be, we were pleasantly surprised with a starter soup course: parsnip, mushroom and fennel soup. An earthy triumph. This was followed by our appetizers: Wagyu beef ravioli with Waguy heart confit and edamame beans, and prosciutto-wrapped pan-seared scallops. Mmm! An in-between, palate-cleansing refresher was offered: lemon sorbet served in a tiny martini glass of vodka with lemon zest. Talk about pucker. I loved it. All of this was preparing us for the delectable entrees coming our way. Michael ordered the duck, as he is wont to do, which had a crisp salt crust and was cooked to medium-rare perfection. I selected the rack of lamb with honey and sage. How good does that sound? It was tender and rich, subtly enhanced by the adroit aromatic and sweet flavor pairing.
Fat and happy, we strolled back to the hotel for the last, carefree sleep of vacation, mini though it was.
It's unfortunate I didn't get any pictures of our meals, but I never feel right whipping out my camera in a nice restaurant. I hope to get better about including some multimedia in my food posts, and cutting out some wordiness, but this was a special event with lots to tell. I promise to keep these more streamlined in the future, except when I finally get around to writing about Berlin. It has only been 5 months since that trip; it's still within the statute of vacation limitations, isn't it?
Montreal has for a time been on my mental to-do list of destinations with the attached thought, "Oh, maybe I could whip out a few French phrases, pick up a baguette, and pretend I am once again in Paris." Je suis desolee, Montreal! How foolish I was. This city has no need for mimicking the capital of its motherland, nor do its visitors for wishing they were elsewhere. While holding onto the language of France and very much desiring to preserve a French cultural identity, Montreal shines as a perfect combination of European sensibility and Canadian amiability. What I mean is, Montreal does have the feel of a European city, there is no doubt about that. Yet it still feels much smaller, homier, and more laid back than Paris. Canadians are really nice, eh! I'm not trying to stereotype here. Our tour guide of the city, Jean-Michel, was the friendliest, most helpful man. He also said "eh" at the end of every sentence, be it declarative, exclamatory, interrogative or imperative. If I brush up on my language skills, I could spend a lot of time amongst these French Canadiens.
Mike and I took off the Friday and Monday of Columbus Day Weekend for this excursion to the North. It was a 3-night, 2-day stay book-ended by 2 days of travel. The drive itself was around 5 1/2 to 6 hours, a straight shot up I-87 all the way through New York State, which is beautiful this time of year. Although I had hoped this road trip would take us through winding, scenic trails of New England, the Catskills and Lake George/Placid/Champlain areas provided enough colorful foliage to make me happy.
Our hotel, we'd come to find, couldn't have been better located. We were in the Latin Quartier, a block away from a main Metro hub and two from one of the liveliest stretches in town, Rue Saint-Denis. After freshening up from the road, we ventured out for a stroll and dinner at Les Deux Gamins, a resto we found on Yelp. It was positively charmant. Seated outside of the Parisian styled bistro, we leisurely enjoyed a classic French supper. I began with escargots, all garlicky and in a sheen of warm butter; Mike chose the healthier, yet equally delicious (I take his word for it as I am not fan of salmon) salmon tartare garnished with lightly dressed salad greens. Our mains kept the same buttery vs. healthy (or -ier) theme: mine steak frites, his a pot of mussels. However, the mussel broth did have its fair share of butter, and made 2 baskets of bread disappear. Dessert came with theses prix-fixe menu choices, so how could we say no? Michael opted for profiteroles, a personal favorite of mine, while I went with a simple fruit crumble. With nowhere to rush, no schedule to meet, we stretched out a 3-course meal into the chilly night.
Saturday was brilliant. We grabbed a small breakfast, compliments of the hotel, and headed out to the Metro. Montreal's underground setup was great. It did remind me of DC's Metro a bit, specifically because of its high, patterned, clean ceilings. In this respect the two Metro systems stand in stark contrast to NYC's subway and its cramped, sewer-like tunnels we crawl into every day. I thank the MTA for getting me where I need to go, when I need to go, but sometimes the subway just makes me feel dirty. In any event, we disembarked at Mont Royal and walked in the early light to Fitz and Follwell cycle tours.
Planning for this weekend trip, I had known I wanted bicycles included in some way. I may be bikeless in Brooklyn, but it's not because I don't love bikes. In my mind, Michael and I would rent two bikes for the duration of our stay and traverse the entire city, seeing all there was to see. In reality, though we may have covered much road, we would never have experienced Montreal in the same way if we hadn't toured with these folks. It was an intimate, 4-hour "Montreal Highlights" tour comprised of twelve people, including the two guides. We were regaled with history, trivia, and culture while taking in the sights, beautiful weather, and easy-going street life of a Saturday morning in Montreal. Our charming guide Jean-Michel even took us to Atwater Market for gourmet pizza and local micro-brews. C'etait fantastique!
After that amazing stretch of the legs, we stopped back at the hotel for a brief rest. We decided to do a small dinner of brie, mesclun, and walnuts on baguette from Mamie Clafoutis, a darling little bakery serving perfect crusty bread. Our main outing of the night was to a beer bar, Vices et Versa. Michael and I are devoted lovers of the fermented grain, and our waistlines won't let us forget it. So he did his research and found this place. Cozy and inviting, quiet yet lively, Vices et Versa and its 25-beer deep draft list welcomed us out-of-towners like old friends. I won't bore you with the entire list of brews we had that night, but I assure you they were dizzyingly delightful.
If bikes were one thing I knew I wanted to do in Montreal, trying the city's bagels was the other. St. Viateur Bagel is THE place, I had heard. Mile End deli in Brooklyn even gets these bad boys delivered. Every day. And while they are no comparison to my beloved New York bagels, they were delish! Lighter and sweeter, with a larger center hole, they made the perfect sandwich bread for a turkey club. To be fair, since I didn't try one with cream cheese I can't say for sure if they aren't as good as New York. But I'm a creature of habit; I'll stick to the bagels I was raised on. Nevertheless, I'll surely pay a visit to Mile End for another taste. All carbo-loaded and ready to go, Michael and I drove out to the Jardin Botanique, a gorgeous patch of green...
yellow
orange
purple
red, and...
Celine Dion.
We ambled through the light sunshine and clean air in a quiet and peaceful afternoon.
I would be remiss if I did not note that we did try the poutine for lunch that day. Needless to say it was gluttonously delicious: a Canadian take on the disco fry, which this Jersey Girl could deeply appreciate.
And that brings us right back to the table at O'Thym. We had planned on going to Au Pied du Cochon so that Mike could get a duck in a can, but they were fresh out of reservations. With our hopes dashed, we turned to ever-trusty Yelp and settled on O'Thym. Excuse me, not settled, scored. Au Pied du Cochon can keep its pig parts as far as I'm concerned. From the moment we walked in the door, I knew we were in for a treat. It even reminded us of Brooklyn a bit, of a restaurant you might find on Smith Street. Our server was cheerful and helpful to us Anglophones, sensing that we could use the English version of the menu. We heard the specials and scoured the tantalizing offerings up and down before finally making up our minds. (It takes me a while to come to a decision, especially when it comes to menus.) As we waited for our orders and discussed blogs-to-be, we were pleasantly surprised with a starter soup course: parsnip, mushroom and fennel soup. An earthy triumph. This was followed by our appetizers: Wagyu beef ravioli with Waguy heart confit and edamame beans, and prosciutto-wrapped pan-seared scallops. Mmm! An in-between, palate-cleansing refresher was offered: lemon sorbet served in a tiny martini glass of vodka with lemon zest. Talk about pucker. I loved it. All of this was preparing us for the delectable entrees coming our way. Michael ordered the duck, as he is wont to do, which had a crisp salt crust and was cooked to medium-rare perfection. I selected the rack of lamb with honey and sage. How good does that sound? It was tender and rich, subtly enhanced by the adroit aromatic and sweet flavor pairing.
Fat and happy, we strolled back to the hotel for the last, carefree sleep of vacation, mini though it was.
It's unfortunate I didn't get any pictures of our meals, but I never feel right whipping out my camera in a nice restaurant. I hope to get better about including some multimedia in my food posts, and cutting out some wordiness, but this was a special event with lots to tell. I promise to keep these more streamlined in the future, except when I finally get around to writing about Berlin. It has only been 5 months since that trip; it's still within the statute of vacation limitations, isn't it?
13 October 2011
Foreward
I miss the written word. Sure, this isn’t the written written word in its truest form, but let’s not split hairs. It has been quite some time since I’ve written at length. Aside from a small journal during my trip to Berlin in May and the occasional grocery list, the last blank pages I’ve encountered were the beginnings of seemingly insurmountable 5-10 page papers standing in between me and my undergraduate degree. While I do not miss typing feverishly to meet a deadline that always seemed to arrive too soon (likely because I chose to wait until it was far too near on the horizon for comfort), I do miss filling pages with my voice, my musings, my perspective.
As of late, the only writing exercises I've been engaging in are wretched email correspondences between me and my clients. These often involve long lists of inane instruction and polite (yet strained) pleas that they will just KINDLY follow the instructions I provide and not some strange bastardization or shortcut they create out of them. I'd like to break away from that and verbalize (or textualize) original speech before I permanently sound like a user's guide.
So here I am, blogosphere! Thanks to an off-hand suggestion by my boyfriend over dinner, I’m trying my hand at blogging. I may be a bit behind the times, but I come to this medium fresh-faced and enthusiastic: a twenty-something gal with energy, optimism, and things to say. I hope to use the space to share the happenings of my life and whatever few insightful thoughts I may come up with, while taking my creativity out for a spin (no bike pun intended, I swear).
Submitted for the approval of the Midnight Society, I call this story... "The Tale of Bikeless in Brooklyn."
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