mire-poix [mir-pwah] noun

The holy trinity in French cooking: onions, carrots and celery.


Monday, December 12, 2011

Roasted Chicken Drumsticks



If you are are looking for a dish that will perfume your kitchen with roasted garlic and rosemary, then look no further because I have just the recipe for you. All you need for this recipe are six simple ingredients: Chicken drumsticks, garlic, dried rosemary, olive oil, Chinese spice salt and black pepper. The secret to making these drumsticks extra savory is the spice salt, which is salt mixed with Chinese Five Spice. We always have this on hand because it's a fast and easy way to add flavour to food other than the usual S&P.

I made this dish for my family the other night and honestly there's nothing nicer that coming home to the wonderful aromas of dinner cooking and roasted garlic. They thought I slaved in the kitchen all day.



Ingredients:
Chicken drumsticks

Garlic cloves

Dried rosemary

Chinese spice salt

Black pepper

Olive oil


Directions:
1. Wash the chicken drumsticks and pat dry with paper towel

2. To marinade the chicken, add spice salt, black pepper, dried rosemary and enough olive oil to coat. Using a grater, grate 1-2 garlic cloves over the chicken.

3. If you have time, pop the chicken into the fridge to marinade for a few hours. This step won't make a huge difference.

4. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and roast the drumsticks for 40 minutes.
5. After 40 minutes, turn the oven to broil for about 10 minutes. Once the skin is crispy and golden, they are ready.

Note: Don't worry if the garlic looks burnt, it should look this way. The garlic will taste sweet and not pungent like raw garlic.

xoxO

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Truffles



Chocolate truffles are one of my all-time favorite desserts. Luckily, it also happens to be one of the easiest things to make and with the holidays just around the corner, these decadent treats make the perfect hostess gift or for easy entertaining. This recipe comes from Canadian Living and the recipe is foolproof. The most difficult part is stopping yourself from snacking on leftover chocolate and licking the whisk. Anyway, did I mention that this was my first time making truffles?





Ingredients:

277g of semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped (make sure it's good quality)
2/3 cup of
whipping cream
1/4 cup butter, cubed

1 tbsp vanilla

Cocoa powder (for the coating)

Preparation

Place chocolate in heatproof bowl. In saucepan, heat cream with butter just until butter melts and bubbles form around edge of pan. Pour over chocolate; whisk until smooth. Whisk in vanilla. Cover and refrigerate until firm, about two hours.

Using a melon baller or teaspoon, drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto two waxed paper-lined baking sheets. Gently roll each to round off completely. Freeze until hard, about one hour. (Make-ahead: Cover and freeze for up to one day.)

Coating: Roll each truffle in a small bowl with a couple tablespoons of cocoa powder.

Make-ahead: Layer between waxed paper in airtight container and refrigerate for up to one week or freeze for up to three months.

*note: You will notice that I used cocoa powder for the coating instead of chocolate because that's how I like my truffles.


xoxO

Thursday, November 24, 2011

Swish By Han

Trying new restaurants is one of my favourite things to do because I love to eat. Since my last review in March, I have been to quite a few restaurants like Luma, Campagnolo, La Société, Sidecar, Jules Bistro Cafe, Lee Lounge, just to name a few. The food was great, but I was not excited to sit down and write a review.

I had dinner at
Swish By Han tonight and it was one of best meals I've had in a very long time in Toronto. The restaurant had really nice decor, service was great and the food was delicious. I was especially blown away by their steamed pork belly bun. It was sweet from the hoisin sauce, spicy from the chilis and smoky from the charred pork belly. Party in my mouth.


Steamed Pork Belly Bun. Hands down , the most delicious dish I have eaten in a very long time. I could eat four of these.


Silken Tofu. According to The Grid , they make their tofu from scratch every Sunday. When I read about this, I knew I had to order this dish. The tofu was incredibly fresh and silky and the tempura batter was the perfect coating to contrast the different textures. Order this dish and you will not be disappointed.


Soo Yook: 48 Hour Braised Beef.

I give Swish By Han a solid 8/10. If you happen to go with three or four other friends for dinner, make sure to pre-order the pork shoulder a day before. It's not listed on the menu, so it's a secret.

xoxO

Monday, September 12, 2011

Pasta with Roasted Tomato Sauce



On Sunday, I spent the afternoon planning my meals for the upcoming week and went grocery shopping. I rarely do this, so I felt really productive and prepared for the busy week ahead. I made enough quinoa salad to last me for the whole week, made a delicious steak and potatoes dinner and slow roasted tomatoes. I know it sounds like a lot of work, but it felt good knowing that I wouldn't have to slave away in the kitchen during the week.
Now, back to the slow roasted tomatoes. I wanted to make pasta for dinner, so this was an easy way to make a hearty sauce. This recipe was inspired by Sophie Dahl's roasted tomato soup except much more simpler and rustic. No blender or immersion blender is required and
you don't have to stew the tomato sauce for hours.

Ingredients:
6 tomatoes
4 cloves of garlic
Dried rosemary
Sugar
Salt
Pepper
Balsamic Vinegar
Chopped parsley
Parmesan cheese
Spaghetti

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. Chop tomatoes into chunks and smash the garlic cloves. Place everything in a baking dish. Add, salt, pepper, dried rosemary, sugar (I eyeballed all of the measurements). Slow roast in the oven for 50 minutes.
3. Take the pan out of the oven and mash tomatoes with a fork. You can blend everything into a smooth sauce, but I love the rustic chunks of tomato.
4. Pour the roasted tomatoes into a pot and simmer until the sauce begins to thicken. About 20-30 minutes. Add a splash of balsamic vinegar and more sugar if the sauce is too sour.
5. Cook the pasta, top with the tomato sauce and garnish with some chopped parsley.

Serve immediately with lots of Parmesan.





xoxO

Sunday, August 21, 2011

Twice baked potato + roasted carrot soup



I spent Sunday afternoon watching Delicious Miss Dahl on YouTube and felt inspired to make dinner from scratch. In this particular episode, Sophie was feeling nostalgic and made a homesick lunch. She prepared twice baked potatoes with goat cheese and crème fraiche and a roasted tomato soup. I definitely did not have any fancy ingredients stocked in my pantry, so I raided my fridge to avoid running to the grocery store. To my surprise, I found gouda cheese, scallions, onions, garlic and a carrot. I instantly came up with my own twist to Sophie's nostalgic meal and decided to make twice baked potato with gouda cheese and scallions and a roasted carrot soup. There was no recipe involved, just whatever I thought would taste delicious together. I think I learned this from my mom, she rarely cooks with a recipe.

Ingredients:

Twice baked potato
1 potato
1 stalk of scallion
Gouda cheese (Any cheese you prefer would work, also as much as you like)

Roasted Carrot Soup
1 Carrot
1 Small onion
Dried Rosemary
Few cloves of garlic
Enough olive oil to coat the vegetables

Directions:
1. Wash and scrub the potato well. Place potato in 400 degree oven and bake for an hour and a half.
2. Cut carrots and onions and place on a sheet pan. Add the garlic cloves, rosemary, salt and pepper. Drizzle the vegetables with olive oil and place in a 400 degree. Roast for 45 minutes.
3. Once the potato is cool enough to handle, cut it in half length wise. With a spoon, scoop out the flesh into a bowl. Grate the cheese and add chopped scallions into the bowl and mash with a fork or potato masher until blended. Spoon the mixture into the potato skins and top with more cheese. Place the baked potato back into the oven and bake until the top is golden brown and bubbly.
4. Once the vegetables are golden brown and fork tender, they are ready. Place the vegetables into a blender and add some hot water or chicken stock. Blend until smooth. (Tip, if you do not have chicken stock, add bouillon powder)
5. Reheat the soup before serving. Add salt and pepper to taste.









xoxO

Thursday, August 11, 2011

Jil Sander



Today I am wearing my Jil Sander shoes for the first time. They are probably the prettiest shoes I own.

xoxO

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

Lamb



If you want to serve an elegant dinner that's simple and delicious, then my rack of lamb recipe will do the trick. You can buy New Zealand spring lamb from your local grocery story in the frozen meat section. The night before your dinner party, take the lamb out of freezer and leave it in the fridge to defrost.

Ingredients:
Dijon Mustard

Rosemary (dried or fresh)

2-3 cloves of garlic

Extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper


Directions:

1. Pat the lamb dry with a paper towel to remove the moisture
2. Season both sides generously with salt and pepper

3. In a separate bowl, combine 1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard, minced garlic and rosemary. If you happen to have fresh rosemary on hand, remove the leaves from the woody stem and chop finely.

4. Slowly add extra virgin olive oil to the mixture and whisk. The mixture should have the consistency of a thicker salad dressing. You still want the marinade to be thick enough to stay on the meat.
5. With a spoon, pour the marinade on top of the lamb to create a beautiful yellow crust.
6. Place in a 400 degree oven and broil for 15-20 minutes for rare-medium rare




I also tested this recipe out on the barbecue the other night and it turned out beautifully. Start grilling the lamb on the bone, then in 10 minutes turn the meat onto the other side. The marinade will cause some flames, so be careful. Finish cooking the meat for 10-15 minutes.

xoxO

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Just Dance



Lanvin Fall/Winter 2011 ad campaign.

xoxO

Monday, July 18, 2011

Crochet



The perfect crochet shorts worn with a loose tank and cork wedge sandals.

xoxO

Sunday, July 10, 2011

Friday, July 8, 2011

Dylan



I sometimes forget how much I love my Linea Pelle Dylan bag.

xoxO

Thursday, June 23, 2011

Vintage



My brother did some spring cleaning last night and found a children's blazer buried in his closet. He last wore this blazer when he was eight years old for special occasions. He also found a collection of bow ties, my mom really knew her stuff. He showed me the blazer right away and I instantly fell in love with the cut and the buttons. He told me to try it on for fun and I am glad he did because it is now my favourite blazer.

One man's trash is another girl's treasure.

xoxO

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Watermelon Granita



Ingredients

4
cups (1 3/4 pounds) cubed seedless watermelon (from a 4-lb. melon)
1/2
cup sugar (I only used 1/4 cup because my watermelon was s
uper sweet)
1
tablespoon fresh lime juice


Preparation

Purée all ingredients in a blender until smooth. Pour into a 9x9x2" metal baking pan. Freeze mixture for 1 hour. Stir, mashing any frozen parts with the back of a fork. Cover and freeze mixture until firm, about 2 hours. Using a fork, scrape granita vigorously to form icy flakes



Two hours later et voilà, the granita is ready!



I always try to make my food look pretty and presentable, but clearly my friends could not wait to dig in. We finished the watermelon granita in 15 minutes. Success :)

Recipe via Bon Appetit Magazine


xoxO

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Khao San Road

Last week, I had dinner at Khao San Road with a couple of friends. As I was impatiently waiting for my friends to arrive, I read the National Post's review of the restaurant because a friend told me that they gave mixed reviews. I definitely started to feel skeptical about the food, but decided to order a few dishes that Gina Mallet recommended to see for myself. We ordered the Pad Thai, Gaeng Massaman and Khao Soi.



We had high expectations for the Pad Thai and we were very disappointed. It was definitely too sweet and needed more chili spice to balance out the dish.



The Gaeng Massaman was also a disappointment. The flavours were all too familiar and it tasted like most Thai curries.



The Khao Soi was highly recommended by Mallet, so we had to order it. This dish was the highlight of our evening and it definitely made up for the disappointing Pad Thai. The coconut curry soup was so delicious we drank every last drop. I highly recommend this dish.



For our appetizer, we ordered Tao Hoo Taud Samoon Prai (fried garlic tofu). This was very delicious and unique because they used a firm tofu instead of the conventional soft tofu. I loved the meaty texture of the firm tofu and the spicy dipping sauce.

My rating: ***

xoxO

Thursday, March 17, 2011

Well Orange You Chic



Kate Spade Essex Scout in Orange. I want to buy this in April when this comes in a bigger size. @katespadeny let me know that it will be available mid April!

xoxO

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Springing Forward



My Jil Sander sandals. Can't wait to wear these beauties, they will go with absolutely everything!


(Photo via Shopbop.com)

I am currently obsessed with Equipment blouses. I especially love the pale pink and orange combination. I think my Joe Fresh blouse from last year will help me achieve this look.


(Photo via Shopbop.com)

For some of us who love the colour blocking trend, but are not as daring. Pairing a neutral with a bright colour is more subtle yet chic at the same time. I absolutely love the grey and bright orange combination.

xoxO

Sunday, March 6, 2011

Dinner Parties



I hosted Taco Night at my place this weekend and this picture pretty much explains how passionate we are about these themed dinner parties. Stay tuned, a Surf 'n' Turf dinner party is next on our list.

xoxO

Friday, January 14, 2011

New York City

As I was sitting at desk reminiscing over my New York album, I had the sudden urge to write a post about my epic trip back in September. A few months ago, I travelled to New York City with my six of my closest girlfriends to celebrate our birthdays (four birthdays to be exact!). It was a short weekend, but we obviously made lots of time for shopping and some good eats.

Warning: Do not look at these picture if you are hungry. I am not kidding!


Pulled Pork Sliders at Byrant Park Grill


Caprese Salad at Bryant Park Grill


Avocado Sandwich at Bryant Park Grill. Just want to note that this is no ordinary sandwich. The red pepper relish is really special.


Here is a better view of this deliciousness. Loads of avocado combined with the red pepper relish, party in my mouth.


Blackberry lemonade at Cafeteria.


The Mac Attack at Cafeteria. A delicious trio of mac 'n' cheese.


P.E.I Mussels at Cafeteria. We ended up drinking the white wine broth, just saying.


Cobb Salad at Cafeteria.


Our table. I just wanted to note that I can only be friends with girls who actually eat.


Last meal in NYC, Eggs Normandy at Cafe Mogador. Hands down the best eggs Normandy I have ever had. I believe they smoke their own salmon.

There are more pictures, but unfortunately some of the pictures did not turn out very well. The first night we were there we had dinner at Morimoto (Iron Chef Morimoto's restaurant) and the food was great. We ordered this delicious foie gras dish, scallops, European sea bass and cod. For my birthday dinner, we went to Palma and it is this cute Italian restaurant. I honestly felt like I was transported to Tuscany for the evening. We ordered Caprese salad, Spaghetti alle Vongole, and Ravioli stuffed with kale and mushrooms.

xoxO

Thursday, January 13, 2011

Home is wherever I'm with you



Home - Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros

This song will have a permanent spot on my playlist. I can listen to this song all day.

P.S I wish I can whistle

xoxO

Monday, January 10, 2011

Three Words

http://threewords.me/livwu

Click on the link above and describe me in three words. I am interested to read all of the responses (nice things I hope!).

Also, I would like give a shoutout to Carlo for being the first one! Check out his blog!

xoxO