Read: A Book Review (of Sorts): The Casual Vacancy

To begin with, let me explain that this isn't a proper review as I haven't actually finished the book yet. I will post a follow up when I'm finally finished and can give the book, in it's entirety, a fair shake.

The Casual Vacancy by J. K. Rowling is testing my belief that one should never give up on a book. My theory is that you can't honestly say that you love or hate a book until you have the complete 'vision' of what the author was trying to convey. Based on this, I can only think of one or two books that I have given up on, and even then I eventually gave one of them another chance and I was glad I did (Life of Pi!). However, The Casual Vacancy has been an absolute chore to read. There are way too many characters and much too much time spent setting up the premise for me to care about what happens next. I find myself scrambling mentally to figure out who this character is again, as the focus changes with every chapter, and how they relate to the other characters before I put the book down again. Perhaps it would flow better if I would read a few chapters at a time but I already have to force myself to get through a few pages every night before my eyes burn from the need to sleep.  I am dragging my heels with this one. I feel dejected every time I start up my Kobo only to realize I'm only 36% done.

The reason I persevere with this book is because it was selected for a book club. We chose the book democratically, and although it wasn't my first choice I was open to trying it. Five people in the group had suggested it, so the expectations were rather high. But as of this morning, I've heard from three people in the club who all struggling to finish it before the next meeting. Normally a few weeks would be plenty of time for me to read a book, but this one is proving to be a challenge. I'll be interested to hear what people think of the book once we do meet. How many people actually got through it? Also, did anyone enjoy it? It's only our second meeting but I am looking forward to it, especially since I had a lot of fun at the last one. I love reading, and finding time with like-minded people who share the same interest is immensely enjoyable. It makes me wonder why I haven't joined a book club sooner! So, my fellow book club-ites, remember: Hate the book, not the book club! ;-)

Eat: French Onion Soup Recipe

Cold weather, hot soup, you know the drill. I'm a soup and sandwich fiend, and the recent turn in weather continues to inspire the use of more soup recipes. This particular soup is special though and I try to make it at least once a year. I do, after all, have bowls that are used just for this purpose. The venerable and anachronistic French Onion Soup (FOS). We've probably all tried one at some point in our lives, more likely than not in some deli or severely outdated restaurant. It was on nearly every menu in the 1980's but now it has fallen out of favour and is rarely seen on menus today. I've had many mediocre and a handful of exceptional versions. All I know is that a better version takes good cheese (i.e. not mozzarella), a bit of booze and some loving care to slowly caramelize the onions.

About 8 years ago I watched a 30 Minute Meals episode where Rachael Ray made her 'Oh So Good French Onion Soup'. I was intrigued by the fact that she used a dry sherry in her recipe and wondered what flavour that would add to the soup. I've had FOS before which lacked that certain 'je ne sais quoi', so I was willing to bet it had something to do with the lack of of alcohol. I had discussed my interest in trying this FOS recipe with a family member, who then kindly bestowed on me a set of four (extremely retro)  FOS bowls (which I still use today). Armed with the recipe and appropriate serving ware, I happily set forth to make my first FOS. It's hard for me to articulate what made this soup so delicious, but the richness of the caramelized onion and beef broth contrasted so nicely with the fresh thyme and dry sherry (fino) which had a crisp, tang and light sweetness. A definite keeper.

I've been making this soup every winter since. I know there are many versions out there and I am curious about the ones that use different types of alcohol (calvados, dry white wine, brandy) but I am hesitant to ditch my tried and true recipe. Not to mention the fact I have no idea what else to do with my bottle of Sherry. Suggestions, anyone?

The original recipe can be found here. My modifications are listed below:

• I halved the recipe to serve two people but rounded up, using 4 cups of broth and keeping the full 1/2 cup of sherry. This is because I used 3 really large onions and I figured the recipe could use the extra liquid.
• I used a mandolin to slice the onions quickly and uniformly. It did not prevent me from shedding bitter, burning tears while I worked. Blasted onions!
• Try to caramelize the onions as much as possible before adding the broth. The darker the caramelizing, the deeper the flavour. I <3 Caramelized onions
• My beef stock didn't taste right (flat, flavourless, likely expired) so I chucked it and used chicken stock instead. I thought it worked well.
• I used a block of Gruyere and grated it by hand instead of using the pre-grated kind. I believe it tastes better this way but it might just be complete snobbery on my part.
• Don't skip the bay leaf, add two instead and try to toss them out before the soup is broiled in the ramekins.
• I doubled the fresh thyme, but that might be too pungent/medicinal for some people so proceed with caution.
• I put my baguette slices under the broiler (turning once) to toast, which helps prevent it from getting too soggy, too quickly.

 It's worth trying, I swear. Amazing flavour pay off for relatively little effort.

 

Shop: J. Crew Tipped Pea coat in Antique White

Something happened recently that kinda sorta ticked me off. By kinda sorta, I mean a lot. When I get super pissed off, I do one of three things: eat bad food, shop or work out. Or any combination of the three. Considering I'm trying to lose some weight and I'm also trying not to shop, the only non-damaging option would have been to work out. So I did, and it was a good way to let off some steam but in the end, it was simply not enough of a distraction to avoid the temptation of the other two habits. I completely broke down and bought the J. Crew tipped pea coat that I have been drooling over for the last two months. And yes....I did feel better. In fact, I still do, which surprises me. Truth be told, the satisfaction of buying the coat outweighed any guilt I thought I'd feel about failing my no-shopping challenge. Of course, it sucks that I don't have the willpower to go three months without frivolous shopping but at least I scaled back the habit and I genuinely believe that I will consider my purchases more carefully now. Also, I'm more than a little pleased that I got the coat on eBay and saved nearly 130$ off the SALE price of coat on the J. crew site, if you factor in duties and shipping. Teehee...

It's as if the universe sensed my weakness and sent me some astutely directed e-newsletters from my favourite money traps. Temptation at Banana Republic came in the form of Striped sweater dress, the Draped knit dress in Teal Shadow and the Lydia silk blouse in Saucy Red. Lululemon added new winter ready pants to their collection; I am an absolute sucker for track or jogging pants so these are right up my alley. The Forme Pant, Dog Runner Pant and Pleasing Pant are all pure temptation for me. The First Base tank looks really nice too, especially in the grey/black stripe and colour block versions. Ugh, temptation is everywhere! Maybe I better just head back to the gym and hope this retail craving passes.

Shop: David's Tea Advent Calendar

Gimme, gimme, gimme! A David's Tea advent calendar for grownups! Okay, well, wait..to clarify...I'm a grown up and I have NO issue eating 24 little chocolates leading up to Christmas day. But truth be told, most of the time those little chocolates are made of some pretty inferior 'milk'  chocolate anyway. It's not even worth the caloric hit for crap chocolate. Having said that, if there was a Cadbury Fruit & Nut advent calendar I'd buy one for every month of the year. In any case, this version by David's Tea gives me the thrill of opening the little door to find a surprise treat behind it with the added benefit of zero caloric intake! Win-Win!

Okay, maybe that's not my best sell job but aside from the fact it's healthier than cheap chocolate, David's Teas are really amazing. I really enjoy a hot tea on a cold winter afternoon. Also, what a novel way to try 24 different teas without committing to larger quantities that you may or may not like. I'm trying to decide if buying this counts as seasonal home decor (therefore okay by shopping diet rules) or just another frivolous expense on my part. I think we all know the answer, but isn't Christmas all about frivolity anyway? (or maybe it was about baby Jesus...)

From David's Tea

Eat: Links for Foodies

I often post updates about recipes that I have found on the Internet. I love my cookbooks, but when I get a hankering to make something new for dinner and I am no where near my bookshelf, I have a number of wonderful go-to sites that I can refer to in a pinch. I finally got around to compiling a list of my favourites so I thought I would share it here. Feel free to comment and let me know which sites are your favourites. Any must-try recipes or hidden gems out there that I missed?

In the beginning (of my food tinkering):

allrecipes - Huge variety of recipes but as they are often user submitted, I an hesitant to trust the ingredient quantities and flavour profiles unless I see numerous positive user reviews.

Food Network US and Food Network Canada - Sometimes, even if I have the book (i.e. Barefoot Contessa) I like to print the recipe so that I don't worry about smearing it with butter or sauce while cooking. Be warned, I have noted that sometimes a recipe shown in a TV episode varies from what is printed in the book (i.e. Giada's Chicken Vesuvio)

Rachael Ray - Most or all of her recipes have moved from Food Network to her personal site. I love cooking but sometimes I feel that the effort can be daunting; Rachael Ray's recipes are great for quick results (Check out her Pumpkin Sage Pasta, Vodka Sauce, French Onion Soup, Apple Spinach Salad, Celery Fennel Slaw, etc.)

Healthy and/or Vegetarian

super natural every day: Heidi Swanson - Beautiful photography and healthful recipes. Her books are filled with even more gorgeous photos. I haven't made enough of her recipes, I must make a sincere effort to use her site/books more often.

Vegetarian Times - THE vegetarian resource during my year without meat. Still a great choice for my 1-2 meat-free dinners a week. Really love the Spicy Tofu.

Veggie Num Num - Such a lovely web site, the pictures do so much for the recipes. I must admit that I haven't tried many recipes from here yet, but I am dying to try the Veggie Kofta

General Sites

Epicurious - The BEST recipe site on the Internet. Period. I believe it has every recipe ever printed in Bon Appetite and Gourmet Magazine. User reviews really help to determine if a recipe is worthwhile; not to mention a great source of information for modifications. The recipe box is a fantastic feature, my box has about 400 recipes stemming back from 2001 or so. Can't gush about this site enough, I'm always surprised when I hear a foodie doesn't already know about this one. Bookmark it. Now!

Martha Stewart - In the past I was a subscriber to Everyday food, but I found the recipes a bit lack-lustre; bland and a bit too simple. Martha's site has both easy and more moderate/advanced recipes. It's not the first site I go to but I would trust her recipes when it comes to baking.

Canadian Living - A good variety overall. Recipes lean towards the lighter/healthier option

Fine Cooking - What makes Fine Cooking special is how educational the articles are. The best resource for tips, tricks, reviews, tools and techniques. LOVE their Christmas cookies.

Food lifestyle blogs; sometime recipes, other times food writing.

David Lebovitz -  Living the Sweet Life in Paris. He is so charming and funny, I love his writing style, not to mention his recipes. Our favourite Carnitas recipe comes from an American living in Paris, go figure!

Smitten Kitchen -  Her cook book has just arrived, and I am excited to support her effort and buy the book. Her blog has really evolved, it's been fun to see her develop from miscellaneous blogger to food blogger. Lovely pictures. The best baked french toast recipe; it's now my Christmas morning tradition!

101 Cookbooks - Love the idea of this blog, and her design/photography is beautiful. Lots of great ideas/suggestions

spicy habibti - A bit less glossy than the rest, but some great Indian flavours and inspiration.

Pickled Plum - This site belongs to a friend in NYC. I must admit that Japanese recipes intimidate the crap out of me, but she makes them seem really accessible. Looking forward to trying the Pumpkin Oreo Muffins and working my way to the Japanese recipes

Yet to try, bookmarked and ready to go:

Saveur - I have yet to make a recipe from this site, but the intention is there. Saveur recipes appear in my Pulse News application daily, and the photos are very enticing. On my to-do list.

Jamie Oliver

yummly

Local (i.e Montreal) Blogs: Restaurant Reviews & Food Scene

Foodie Date Night - Based on their recommendations so far, I trust their reviews enough to influence my restaurant selection.

Will Travel for Food - Also another great way for me to discover new or hidden gem local spots. I love the pics of the meals, it's a sneak preview which really helps me decide where I'm spending my dollars.

Food Guy Montreal

Shut Up and Eat

Chow Hound - Boards (Montreal)

And finally, When in Rome...

Katie Parla's Rome for Foodies - Great site, wonderful iPhone app. If it wasn't for her site, we would not have discovered Trattoria Monti, L'Asino d'oro, Vino Roma and Pizzarium. These places MADE our trip to Rome, and we would go back to every single one if we ever go back.

Eat: Bright side of a soft food diet

My mouth throbs with pain. This last adjustment was a killer. Chewing is proving to be very challenging, whenever my top and bottom front teeth make contact its like a mini lightning bolt has hit my jaw. I'm hoping to have a miraculous recovery for dinner at Tuck Shop tonight; a reservation was made weeks ago, before I had an inkling of how intense this last orthodontist appointment would be. If I haven't improved by tonight, I hope they atleast have some really sharp steak knives so I can cut everything into gulp-able pieces.

Having said that, a soft food diet is not all that bad. I'm about to make some soft buttermilk pancakes for brunch. My 'chewing' will be something akin to a snake swallowing its prey in one whole piece. But damn, do I love me some pancakes! Last nights dinner was soft polenta with Marc's ragu; barely any chewing needed but delicious! Nothing like a bolognese ragu and glass(es) of red wine to take the edge off.

Eat: Potato & Leek Soup Recipe

As you can tell, I've been on something of a soup kick as of late. Of course, it has a lot to do with the changing of seasons but as of this week, it's as much to do with adjustments to my braces (i.e. I'm on a soft food diet while dealing with pain).

While shopping for groceries earlier this week, we happened upon some nice looking leeks. I have never prepared leeks before so I figured I was long overdue trying them for myself. I decided on making Potato & Leek soup, as recipes are plentiful.

The recipe I selected is from Epicurious, and can be found here. I found the soup to be almost too healthy, it lacked a certain complexity that a bit of fat could bring to a recipe. I don't want to say it was bland because I realize that a more smooth muted flavour is what one should expect from a Potato and Leek soup, but still, I think it fell short. The fresh herbs really helped it out, but as usual I made a pile of modifications that I feel compelled to share:

• I used 2 large leeks, as that was all I had. I compensated with an extra potato.
• I used 10% cream because that was what was in my fridge.
• I didn't have basil, but I did have fresh rosemary, thyme and tarragon. I used all of them, about a handful of each, chopped.
• I used a whole bag of chives, which might have been more like 1/2 cup. It really needed it.
• Make sure you use the fresh dill, it really adds a flavour that the soup can't do without. You will likely want to use more than the recipe calls for.
• I pureed all of the soup rather than just some of it because I prefer cream/pureed soups
• It needs a good amount of salt and pepper.
• I had a bit of bacon fat in a mason jar so I added a bit less than a tablespoon. Next time I would cook up a bit of bacon, use the fat and add back the cooked bacon as garnish.
• Finally, instead of Tabasco I used a good few shakes of ancho chili powder.

Not the most convincing sales pitch, hun? Having said that, I'm not giving up on Potato & Leek soup yet but I will likely use a different base recipe. Even the pictures came out a little off (i.e. yellow), which I tried unsuccessfully to balance out. For arguments sake, the the soup turned out to be a pretty shade of off-white with lovely green specks of herb throughout. We served it with a provolone and wheat sourdough grilled cheese. I'd recommend to use a cheese with a light flavour otherwise it will drown out the gentle flavour of the soup.