Dining in California

I feel as though this post is long overdue, though my Facebook friends have been able to view the photographs I took of the food I enjoyed while I was in Los Angeles!  My parents were kind enough to treat me to a vacation away from Northern Ontario for my Birthday present.  I have to say, I was nervous to go, as I was to be staying with my cousins who are ADDICTED to shopping and I actually don't like shopping.  Strange, I know.  Anyhow, cousins Angela and Amy showed me to some fantastic restaurants and eventually turned me into quite the little shopper after all!  I came home with tons of goodies, fun new shoes and garments of clothing. I miss L.A!  If you haven't been, I highly recommend you do!  It's full of interesting characters, events, delicious food, culture, art, fashion, deversity, beautiful neighbourhoods, beaches, palm trees!...The list goes on and on.  I want to move there some day.  Maybe I'll just move right into one of these restaurants!  :-) 
(*Some photos were taken by my cousin, Angela!)

Before our little shopping adventure began in Venice, CA, we had a delicious brunch at a restaurant called "Gjelina."  The restaurant was so pretty!  We sat outside amongst vine leaves crawling up the brick exterior of the building and enjoyed some yummy cocktails with our meals.

Amy's meal:  Cured ham, fried eggs, arugula salad, lemon and romesco.  Mmm mmmmm!

Angela's pan-fried ricotta gnocchi in brown butter and truffle honey with Prosecco.  YUM!

Grilled peaches with Burrata, arugula, prosciutto, balsamic and EVOO. 

DELICIOUS truffled crispy fingerling potatoes with herbs and Parmigiano Reggiano cheese shavings-

My yummy light lunch of homemade pickles, herbed cream cheese, freshly baked bread, house cured salmon and pickled red onions with capers...Such beautiful presentation too!  I remember seeing someone eating this dish as soon as I walked in and knew immediately that I would be ordering the very same thing.

Beautiful 'Mai-Tai' cocktail at Bottega Louie! 

Absolutely gorgeous pizza at Bottega Louie!  This one has Burrata (my favourite,) prosciutto, garlic sauteed rapini and topped off with EVOO.  This pizza is perfection!  The crust is charred yet chewy, the cheese is light yet decadent and the saltiness of the ham against the bitterness of the garlic rapini is a marriage made in heaven!  Topped off with fruity olive oil...Out of this world!

Are there any memorable vacation dishes that stand out in your mind?

Christmas baking- Chewy Molasses Cookies

Seriously...Where's the snow, already?!  Since mother nature isn't on my side to help me get into the Christmas spirit, I decided to take matters into my own hands and do some Christmas baking with my mom.  I'm not a huge fan of baking because it's all about precision and science.  I can't even say that I really enjoy sweets, but I really do love these cookies! They're chewy and moist on the inside and have a crunchy exterior.  They're really beautiful as well...Remember, you eat with your eyes first!  We ran into a few little glitches during our baking adventure.  My mom ended up melting the butter rather than softening it.  Oops!  I squished a few cookies when I tried taking them out of the oven...Oops, again!  The cookies did turn out beautifully (with the exception of my two mutant cookies!) All in all, we succeeded in getting into the spirit of Christmas. What screams Christmas more than baking goodies and listening to the Carpenters Christmas album playing in the background?  I guess presents...But this will have to do for now! 

Here are the most of the ingredients the recipe called for.  Turns out we didn't need the baking powder so please ignore!  :-) 

From left to right:  Sugar, baking soda, flour, molasses, butter, cinnamon, cloves, ginger

*We also used pepper, white sugar and dark brown sugar.

Some of my spices measured out!

It's important to whisk the dry ingredients before adding them to the wet ones!

The cookie batter is coming along nicely!

This was probably my least favourite part!  Rolling the cookies...Sticky, icky!

Then they're rolled in coarse sugar.  Even stickier...But so pretty and festive!

Cookies before baking...

Cookies after baking! (Make sure you don't over-bake them)

Let them rest on a cooling rack for at least 5 minutes...Don't touch!  I know it's difficult!

I like wrapping them with a pretty ribbon at this time of year.  These cookies are definitely worthy to give to Santa.  I'm sure we've all been naughty boys and girls more than once this year.  These cookies will ensure you are forgiven and get lots of PRESENTS!  :-)

Here's the link to get the full recipe.  Enjoy!

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/member/views/SOFT-AND-CHEWY-MOLASSES-SPICE-COOKIES-1246159

Dining "Chez Francesca"- #1

With the weather being far warmer in comparison to the norm when it comes to November in Northern Ontario...I decided to celebrate the warm temperature with a light, summery dinner.  I was in the mood to cook, but not wanting to make anything too elaborate.  I just found a few ingredients that inspired my quick (healthy) dish.  All you need are:

• Boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• Lemons
• Capers
• Olives (whichever kind you most prefer)
• Tomatoes
• Fresh Buffalo Mozzarella
• Basil
• Baby greens
• EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
• Salt and pepper
• Garlic
• Shallots
• Thyme *If on hand

 My recipe begins by marinating the chicken.  I am not a firm believer in exact measurements when it comes to cooking, so take my instructions if you will as an approximation.  I use about half a cup of EVOO, 1/4 cup of freshly squeezed lemon juice, 4 cloves of minced garlic, thyme (again, if on hand) and some grated lemon zest. 

Pour the marinade over the chicken in a sealed Ziploc bag and let it sit for 30 minutes to one hour, but NO LONGER at room temperature.  

While the chicken is resting, start preparing the sauce that will dress your chicken once it's cooked.  The sauce is very quick to put together, however, it's better if it has some time to rest in order to ensure that the ingredients marry, which is why I recommend getting it done as soon as possible.  The sauce can be created from the same ingredients that are used to create the marinade for the chicken with a few tweaks to the proportions and ingredients.

• Half a cup of EVOO
• 1/4 of a cup of lemon juice
• 2 teaspoon of lemon zest
• 2 teaspoons of capers/caper pickling liquid
• Muddled fresh basil leaves
• One clove of garlic, minced
• Half of a shallot, minced
• Seasoning to taste
• I also enjoy adding a few chili flakes every so often!

To grill the perfect chicken breast without having it dry out involves timing and patience.  There is a technique which I learned from the website, "Cooks Illustrated.":

*Turn all the burners on your barbeque to high heat.  Turn off one side of your barbeque about 2 minutes before placing your chicken on the grill.  Place the chicken on the "off" side of the grill and close the lid.  Do not move the chicken or lift the lid for 8-9 minutes.  Turn the chicken on the same side of the grill for the same amount of time.  To ensure grill marks, place the chicken on the hot side of the grill for 3 minutes with the lid up, then flip and repeat the same instruction. Remove the chicken from the grill and let it sit under a tented piece of tin foil for at least 5 minutes before cutting into it.

While the chicken is resting, cut the fresh Buffalo Mozzarella, tomatoes and fresh basil.

Slice your chicken on the diagonal after it's rested.  Plate your tomatoes, cheese and basil alternatively in a circular shape on the plate and top with baby mixed greens topped with olives, EVOO, lemon juice, salt and pepper.  Fan out your chicken slices on the plate next to your salad.  Drizzle the chicken (and salad if you wish) with the lemon/caper berry dressing.  Bon Apetit!

What did you have for dinner?

Gold, Silver and Bronze: Favourite Cheeses

I absolutely LOVE cheese!  It's something that can be used as a starter, in a main or in a dessert.  I can't say that I dislike any cheese.  I enjoy them all; from the extremely pungent in fragrance and flavour to the milder alike.  They all have unique characteristics which each hold their place.  I have chosen (with much difficulty and guilt) my top three favourite cheeses and awarded them the Gold, Silver and Bronze medal in my book of best cheeses to soon accompany my own book of favourite foods! (P.S.  Pictures have been borrowed)


Gold is awarded to... Burrata!

I discovered Burrata during my vacation to Los Angeles, California.  My cousins had told me about how delicious this cheese in particular was, however, I found it very difficult to believe that such a strange re-creation of the original fresh Buffalo Mozzarella cheese would create something so extraordinary.  Burrata is a fresh Italian cheese which can accredit its creation to Buffalo Mozzarella.  The outer shell of Burrata is like a stretchy Buffalo Mozzarella, but its secret rests inside. The cheese is considered to be an artisan cheese which has a strong cult following.  I am now a believer and would not only be willing to follow this cult, but be the leader.  Tearing through the strong exterior to release the creamy, curdy interior is what I would consider to be heavenly.  It's a very summery, fresh and mild cheese which was originally created in Puglia, the southern region of Italy. The cheese is best served at room temperature with tomatoes, on pasta, pizza or fruit.  I also enjoy mine with a slight drizzle of good quality extra virgin olive oil and freshly ground pepper. To put it most simply, Burrata is absolute cheese heaven.

Silver is awarded to... Cambozola!

Cambazola is a combination of the characteristics which French cheeses include such as:  creaminess, fruitiness and smoothness, along with the pungency, body and strength of the Italian Gorgonzola.  It contains the same mold which is used to create many blue cheeses including Gorgonzola and Stilton.  Though Cambozola is considered to be a blue cheese, it is much milder in flavour and is also creamier in texture. Most aged blue cheeses are known for being pungent, crumbly and offensive in both flavour and fragrance.  I love the combination of Cambozola with figs, especially on a pizza accompanying caramelized onions, garlic oil, Burrata, prosciutto and arugula with a few shavings of Parmigiano Reggiano and fresh cracked pepper.

 


Finally, last but not least, Bronze is awarded to... Parmigiano Reggiano!

I am half Italian, therefore, I could never leave out the cheese I was raised to love.  It has a salty, nutty flavor complimenting dishes including pastas, risottos, salads, soups and fruit.  The cheese was created in Northern Italy in the city of Parma. The cheese is made from mixing the morning and evening milk of grass-fed cows.  It’s a slow process which includes patient aging, salting, storing and weekly turning in the storage room.  It is finally stamped with the trademark to represent the authenticity and promise of quality of the Italian cheese.

Tell me, friends...What are your top three favourite cheeses?

Dining in Toronto

I lived in Toronto for a short time a few years ago. I must admit that I still appreciate the city and love visiting (which I try to do as frequently as possible) because I need my good food fix.

My favorite restaurants in Toronto range from those that are Italian, high-end Canadian fare, Japanese, Chinese...The options are endless! The city is so vast in its culture that there really is no need for having a bad meal, expensive or not.

During my last visit to the' big city', I was treated to the most fantastic meal I've ever had. I've been a fan of Mark McEwan for years, as I'm a huge Food Network fan. I insisted to my partner that we absolutely needed to finally try his restaurant so that I could finally find out what all the fuss was about (other than McEwan having his own show called 'The Heat' on Food Network Canada.) I was more than impressed with the meal, service and overall experience.

For my starter, I ordered the New Zealand Hamachi which was the perfect appetizer.  It wasn't heavy, but rather light and full of flavour.

The dish includes fresh and thinly sliced Hamachi, in-house made pickled radish salad and crisp ginger drizzled with a garlic and yuzu dressing.  I can't imagine a better start to a meal than this perfect little taste of heaven that didn't ruin my appetite for the delicious dinner to come.

I studied Bymark's menu long before arrival. I was not disappointed with the choice I made for my main dish.  It was once again, simple, flavourful and unique.  The fish was perfectly seared, the gnocchi were just like my mother's - pillowy little clouds of potato dumpling happiness.  The tomato broth wasn't overpowering, but rather an homage to the classic Sicilian Arrabiata sauce.  The dish consisted of a pan seared red grouper with gnocchi, tomato passata with olives and seafood fricassee. 

Seeing as we were at Bymark, it was necessary to order the legendary Bymark burger.  Admittedly, the price was steep, but the product was worth every penny.  The burger was succulent and moist.  The brie cheese was decadent.  The brioche bun was rich and delicious, and the king mushroom shavings added a deep earthiness to the aged beef patty.  The fries were also superb, though a tad too salty for my liking.  They came with a yummy spiced mayo and were presented in a very charming fashion. Molto bene!