God Save the Queen: Tea Sandwiches and Deviled Eggs Recipes

All last weekend, we had been talking about throwing a bullshit Royal Wedding party--with hats, monocles, gloves and tea sandwiches. The whole shebang.  And just to piss off Adam (because he's from Liverpool). I honestly thought it was one of those "We should do that...." drunk conversations that never end up happening. You know what I'm talking about.

We should get together more often....

We should should start a savings account...

We should move to Paris, shoot some heroin and fuck with the stars...

But I'll be damned, Gustavo was for real-- his invitation read:

"We are all very happy we William and Kate are getting married, but I think we can be a lot happier by having a few cucumber sandwiches and gin to celebrate this magic day. I'll be welcoming the common people anytime after 9pm, and Yosh will be helping with the sandwiches, so you know they'll have the Royal Family stamp of approval." 

Gin and Cucumbers- what a pairing. Just last week, I tried for the first time Gin infused with Cucumber--it was light, flavorful and you could just sip it on it's own (no need for mixers)- gorgeous. Throughout the night--it was Cucumber Gin and Tanqueray and Tonic--which made the prospect of watching some Wedding more bearable.  

Cucumber Sandwich Recipe

Ingredients

1 Cucumber- skinned, halved and cut lengthwise

Sliced Bread of Choice

1 container of Cream Cheese softened- chive, dill flavor, or buy plain and just mix in dried herbs

1/8 Red Onion chopped lengthwise

Paprika, Salt and Pepper to taste

Preparation

Spread Cream Cheese on Bread. Top with Cucumber. Garnish with Onions (reserve remaining Onions for next recipe). Sprinkle remaining ingredients to taste. Cut into finger sandwiches as desired. Serve. Can be made ahead.

Prosciutto Sandwich Recipe

Ingredients

Bread of Choice- sliced (best to use crusty breads like a Bavarian Loaf, French Baguette, Dark Rye, etc)

I Can't Believe it Not Butter Spread or any salted and softened Butter 

1 package of Prosciutto

1/8 of a Red Onion- chopped lengthwise

Cilantro or Flat Leaf Parsley 

Preparation

Spread Butter onto sliced Bread. Top with 1 or 2 slices of Prosciutto. Sprinkle Onions and garnish with Cilantro. Cut into finger sandwiches as desired. Serve. Can be made ahead.

Gustavo's Deviled Eggs Recipe

Deviled Eggs are limited to your imagination--you almost can't go wrong (but I'm sure you could if you really wanted to). Since Gustavo had never heard/made Deviled Eggs before--I thought it would be nice to let him try his hand.

Ingredients

1 dozen Hard Boiled Eggs

1 tbs Lobster Oil

1 tbs of Anchovy or Sardine Paste 

Salt, Pepper and Dill or Paprika to taste

Halved Shrimp and Cucumber Sticks Optional 

Preparation


Peel Egg shells. Cut lengthwise and separate eggs whites and yolks into separate bowls.  Mix all remaining ingredients (to Paprika) in with yolks. Mix to desired consistency.  Spoon yolk mixture into hallowed egg whites. Garnish with Shrimp or Cucumbers. Dust with additional Paprika and/or Dill as desired.

In the end, the party and trying to piss off Adam was for real but watching the Royal Wedding was bullshit--(as I suspected).  And all in all, I had a great time: they put Star Wars on, I put my feet up and fell asleep and I woke up this morning refreshed and ready for a new day.

Restaurant Review: Red Card Sports Pub

A few Canucks Playoff games ago, I found myself in one of the most unlikely of places- out at a Seymour Street Sports bar watching the Hockey game. For the record, I don’t care about Sports. I’ve been to a fair number of Sport Bars in many cities over and the same things remain consistent:

You know you’re in a sports bar when you’re surrounded by people shouting at inanimate objects on the wall, you’re food options are yellowing salad greens, nachos, dehydrated chicken wings and burgers, the wait staff is mucky, and you’re lucky if there’s soap in the washroom. 

I passively care about Liverpool FC and my passion for The Red Socks, The Celtics or The Bruins has a faint heartbeat. Now, considering that I don’t give a hoot about my own hometown teams—imagine my enthusiasm for the Canucks. 

I figure that if Vancouver wins—that’s great, please don’t trash my neighborhood. Also, if Vancouver loses—again—please don’t trash my neighborhood.* **

Despite my overall (continuing) pessimism, one of the best meals I’ve ever had was served to me at the Red Card Sports Pub (located at 900 Seymour Street).  The Vongole at Red Card helped me ignore that I was at a Sports bar,  the other crap-tacular mediocre and over-priced dishes we ordered and transported me to some lovely seaside bistro.  The pasta was flavorful (as opposed to just oily and salty), the clams were fresh and I could taste every ingredient. It blowed away the other Vongole's I've had at Carderos, Water Street Cafe, Incendios and anything I can make at home. Though the dish had very simple ingredients on paper--the result was like no other. I wonder if the olive oil was an emulsion? In any case, it was worth every penny. Try it.

$16 "Alla vongole" with clams, white wine, chili and garlic

*“The [1994] loss was followed by a riot in downtown Vancouver, incited by disappointed fans. Many of the fans were so upset that they couldn’t hold their rage and decided to trash the inner city. The Stanley Cup riots, as they became known caused over $1.1 million in damage to the city.” - Vancouver Canucks

** Wow, a riot, again? This place is a joke

Cold Tofu with Garlic and Scallions

 

I <3 Tofu. You can steam it, bake it, stir fry it, grill it--eh, I'm beginning to sound like Bubba from Forrest Gump, so I'll stop because unless you're a Forrest Gump--you get the picture.

I grew up on Cold Tofu with Garlic and Scallions. Every Saturday morning, my Mom would wake up early (anything earlier then 10am is early by my definition) and make what you know as Congee, fry up some eggs with soy sauce, maybe some bacon, open up a can of pickled cucumbers, crack open some shredded dried Swordfish and/or Bamboo Shoots in Chili oil, or maybe there were some salted nuts and plate up some Tofu. A lovely and light and savoury breakfast.

Cold Tofu with Garlic and Scallions Recipe

You can eat this Tofu dish with "Congee", with Ramen or on it's own.

Ingredients

Tofu (silk, soft, medium or firm)

Oyster Sauce, Soy sauce and Sesame Oil

Fresh Minced Garlic

Shredded Scallions

Preparation

Cube Tofu, drain and plate. Add a couple of dashes of Oyster Sauce, Soy Sauce and Sesame Oil. Cover Tofu with Garlic and garnish with Scallions.

Scallion, Cauliflower and Bacon Mac & Cheese Recipe

Last Monday, I decided to conquer real Mac & Cheese. Recipes to me are like merit badges--I like to execute, practice and collect them. I like Mac & Cheese and I used to eat Kraft Dinner a lot growing up: it's cheap, easy to make and even a child can make it (kinda).

I remember my little brother trying to make his own Kraft Dinner and my amusement when he emptied the cheese packet into the boiling water like you would with Ramen. I don't remember if I let him eat his cheese water (but I'd like to think I did but of course I didn't).

Mac & Cheese is not just any cheese melted over pasta--and if yours is--I'm not interested in eating it. For this badge, I decided to tried out a Rachel Ray recipe and tweeked it with Paprika, Bacon and Scallions.

I like this recipe--though it is labor intensive and time consuming--it's worth it. I appreciate the spicy Mustard and creamy sauce created by the trio of Cheeses. I also enjoyed the savory Bacon and the way the oven charred the Scallions (making them smokey and sweet). Even my picky eater ate 1/2 the tray (though I think he tried to eat around the Cauliflower).  


Ingredients

Salt

1 pound short cut Pasta

1 large head Cauliflower chopped

1 cup Chicken Stock

3 strips of Bacon

1 Onion, finely chopped

4 cloves Garlic, finely chopped

3 tablespoons Flour

2 1/2 cups milk

Freshly ground Black Pepper

Freshly grated Nutmeg
Paprika to taste

3-4 sprigs fresh Sage leaves, very thinly sliced

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1 cup sharp white Cheddar cheese, divided

1 cup Gruyère cheese, divided

1 cup shredded Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, divided

2 Scallion stalks sliced

Preparation

Bring the water to a boil for the pasta. Salt the water and undercook the pasta by 2 minutes, about 5-6 minutes.

Meanwhile, when the water comes to a boil, in a covered wok, heat the Olive Oil over medium to medium-high heat. Add 1 cup Stock and Cauliflower, cover and steam for 12-15 minutes, until tender. Remove Cauliflower and discard the water from the pot.

Over medium heat in the same wok, fry Bacon until crispy. Remove from heat-drain oil but reserve 1 or 2 tbs in wok, then add the Onion and Garlic. Sauté for 3-4 minutes, until tender. Add in the Flour and whisk for 1 minute. Whisk in the Milk and season with salt, pepper, Paprika, Nutmeg and Sage. When thickened, stir in the Dijon mustard and two-thirds of the combined cheeses.

Drain the Pasta and add it to the Cauliflower. Stir in the cheese sauce, transfer to baking dish and top with the Bacon, remaining cheese and Scallions. Cool completely and cover for a make-ahead meal.

To bake, pre-heat the oven to 400°F.

Bake until brown on a baking sheet to catch the bubble-over. The casserole will take 40-45 minutes to heat through.

Restaurant Review: Rogue

Last Thursday night as I finished up at the gym, I got a text from Adam to meet him at Rogue (located at 601 West Cordova Street). I have mixed feelings about Rogue--I've been there several times: for office lunches, watching Hockey Games (Go team! - Homer Simpson), dinner and even Gary's Company Christmas Party and one thing remains consistent--the service is horrible. 

For example: The girls in my office typing pool and I decided to go to Rogue for an office lunch. Yvette made a reservation in the morning. I called to update the reservation hours later--to find out that we had no reservation at all--so I made a new one. We all showed up at the Rogue and find out we still had no reservation. When we got there the service was so slow that it took 20 minutes to be served. Ridiculous.

Adam often likes to watch the Canucks games at Rogue--so I often I meet him there for dinner. I usually order that big ass Hamburger they have and split it between Adam and myself. It's not the best and it's not the worst Burger I've ever had.  This time around, Adam was feeling like a liquid dinner, so I ordered the Fish Tacos. What a pleasant surprise.

Though the portion was small--those little tacos were packed and very tasty. I could taste every ingredient but specifically: the fish, the avocado and the mango came together like a song I can listen to over and over again.  

I read that Rogue had a promotion, last year, where you... "pay what you think the meal is worth". If you believe the meal is not as good, or worth less than the menu price, you simply let the server know and fill out a form, paying them what you think it's worth...." If I could pay what I feel the meal was worth--I'd say $10: the meal is good--perfect for a post-work out dinner but otherwise small.

Restaurant Review: Water Street Cafe

Atlantic Lobster Special $22

Last weekend, Adam took me out to a nice Sunday dinner at The Water Street Café (located at 300 Water Street).  Despite living in Gastown for several years now--this was only the second time I had been. Why? Water Street Cafe has a reputation for being expensive, a tourist trap and infamous for bad service. I can agree with maybe 2 out of those 3 things.

We ordered the Seafood Trio--Smoked Salmon, (one lonely) Shrimp and Ahi Tuna on a bed of chopped tomatoes, arugula and capers -> Delicate, light and refreshing--just wish there was more than one shrimp between the two of us.

I ordered the seasonal Lobster Special--$22 for a 1lb Atlantic Lobster with a side of tomato based pasta -> Not impressed at all with meal or the price. Though the plate had a nice presentation, I found the actual Lobster meat and the pasta to be bland. Also, for some strange reason the kitchen did not clean out the Lobster's insides before serving.

Perhaps the kitchen did not clean out the Lobster--because some people like that seafood taste--kind of like people sucking on shrimp heads for flavor. But the taste was overwhelming and (I think) unnecessary--kind of like being served steak and potatoes covered with a pile of tripe. If I were introducing Lobster for the first time to someone I would not take him or her to The Water Street Cafe--too scary and would literally turn them green.

I'll go back though--in fact, I'm planning Yvette's birthday lunch there in May. The Service is good, Water Street has a nice cafe ambience, but I'll stick with the Vongole (and maybe try out the Oysters I keep reading about).

Split Pea Soup with Chicken Recipe

My Split Pea Soup with Chicken

The other weekend, I went to Acme Cafe for a nice loner lunch. I hadn't been there in a couple of months and I thought it would be part of a nice change from the old routine. After my first bite, I instantly regretted that I was paying money for such crap.  I had the Quiche Special with a side of Soup. The Quiche was salty beyond belief (with too much over-powering brie) and the Split Pea soup was tasteless with under-cooked peas.  I ate about 1/3 of my meal and gave the rest away to the homeless.  Still craving Split Pea Soup--I decided to make it at home.  For the record, I dislike blended soups--I like to see what I'm eating and I have my latter years to eat mush.

Split Pea Soup

Ingredients

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 Yellow Onion, finely chopped
2 sprigs parsley, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
2 whole carrots, peeled & diced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
A good pinch of dried thyme, paprika and chopped fresh rosemary
1  cup green split peas
6 cups liquid (4 chicken broth and 2 water)
Browned small chunks of ham or chicken for garnish

Brown the vegetables in wok in the olive oil about fifteen minutes. Season with salt and black pepper. Start the vegetables off on high heat and quickly turn the heat to very low, stirring frequently. After the vegetables have browned, add the dried thyme, paprika and chopped fresh rosemary. Mix well.

In the meantime put the peas (it’s not necessary to soak split peas prior to cooking) and the broth and water into a large stockpot. After the vegetables have browned, add to peas. Bring to a boil, turn heat to low, cover and cook 1 – 1 ½ hours or until peas are tender. Add more liquid if necessary and check for seasonings. Garnish with small chunks of browned ham or chicken.

Squirrels? Squirrel!

I read a story on BBC.com that a Bistro, in Scotland, is now serving Grey Squirrel Meat? Really? See the video yourself: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-12999919. Squirrel apparently tastes like a cross between Duck and Lamb and they are calling it "the ultimate ethical food", because "are subject to a cull, have low air miles and are completely free range."

With a little bit of research, I found out that Squirrel meat is more popular than I thought. There are loads of recipes out there:  

• Misshomemade.com
• Backwoodsbound.com
• Fieldandstream.com

Will I try it? Sure, given the opportunity: try everything once. 

Dinner and a Download: Chipotle Quesadillas with Pork and Black Beans and Predator

It's been a long and expensive day for me. I filed my 2010 taxes this morning and my net income was de-motivating to say the least. Needing some comfort food and easy viewing--I decided to make Chipotle Quesadillas with Pork and Black Beans and download Predator (1987).

Quesadillas are a great way to use left over meat, a perfect to-go meal and an excuse to try out my homemade Chipotle Adobo Puree.

You can get buy Chipotles in Adobo sauce in a can apparently (try The Superstore)--just not in any markets I have regular access to, so I decided to make it from scratch.

Chipotles are smoked Jalapenos that give a nice smokey hot flavor. You can buy dried Chipotles from Sunrise and you can rehydrate them in boiled water. Click here to view the Chipotle Adobo Recipe I used.

Chipotle Quesadillas with Pork and Black Beans

Ingredients

Marinated Pork or Meat of your Choice (cooked and sliced)

Olive oil

PAM

2 Garlic Cloves (minced)

1/2 Pepper (any color-diced)
1 can of Black Beans (drained and rinsed)
2 tbs of Adobo Chipotle Puree

Monterey Jack Cheese (shredded)

Cilantro (chopped)

Whole Grain Tortillas

Preparation

Cook Pork per directions--set aside meat and reserve meat liquids.  Heat wok and add Olive Oil. Add Garlic and Peppers. Cook until fragrant. Add Beans, meat, meat liquids and stir in Puree. Cook until beans soften and remove from heat.

Heat up grill pan and spray with PAM. Place tortilla onto heated grill pan. Spoon bean mixture onto half of tortilla. Sprinkle cheese and cilantro then fold tortilla in half. Grill until cheese is melted and remove from heat. Repeat as desired. Serve with your favorite salsa and/or hot sauce. 

Now about Download, what's not to love about Predator? 
I could watch Predator over and over again. It's timeless and amusing in so many ways. 


You'll laugh: Hawkins: Billy: Billy. Billy! The other day, I was going down on my girlfriend, I said to her "Jeez, you got a big pussy. Jeez, you got a big pussy." She said "Why did you say that twice?" I said, "I didn't."[Billy stares blankly] Hawkins: "See, it's cuz of the echo!"

You'll Cry: Three of the Actors in Predator ran for U.S.  Governorship--only two were elected

You'll fall in love all over again: Oh Billy!

Restaurant Review: Kamei Royale

It's been a exhausting week for me. In turn, I spent most of today in bed: woke up at 6AM and slept off and on till 5pm. (Sleep, that's where I'm a Viking.)  Around 7pm I decided that I should eat something. Around 9pm is when I got around to getting myself out of bed. Around 10pm I finally ate.

Perfect first meal of the day at any hour? Kamei Royale (located at 1030 West Georgia Street) hardly ever does me wrong.  Kamei Royale has a great menu, serves late night and has a Karaoke bar (which is always good for a laugh).  


My first course was 3 Royal Miyagi Oysters $4.50-comes with three sauces: sweet vinegar, ponzu and horse radish that bring out the sweetness of the fresh Oysters three different ways.


I followed the Oysters with Calamari Tofu $5.50- deep fried Tofu topped with Calamari and covered in a sweet chili sauce and scallions. Light and Satisfying. 



And finally Zaru Soba Noodles $8.95- cold buckwheat noodles garnished with shredded dry seaweed served in a house-made sauce.  
Refreshing, light and flavorful.


FYI: Soba noodles are made from buckwheat flour, have a nutty taste and are super healthy.  Also, Soba noodles are an excellent source of complex carbs, protein and antioxidants.


The way to eat Zaru Soba is --mix your scallions and wasabi into your sauce (to your taste). You then dunk and slurp your desired amount of noodles into the sauce and into your mouth (no judgement).


Want to learn how to cook Zaru Soba at home? Check out Tea & Cookies Food Blog. 

Tomato and Basil Seafood Soup

I like going to the Nesters Supermarket during my lunch hour--to see what's fresh, what's on sale and what I can make myself for lunch. The other day shrimp and mussels were on sale for $1 a pound--so I thought I'd make myself a cheap, quick, and easy Seafood Soup.

Ingredients (serves 1 fatty)

1 can of Wolfgang Puck's Classic Tomato and Basil Soup or you're favorite tomato based soup
Handful of fresh Shrimp (peeled and deveined)
Handful of fresh mussels (scrubbed and debearded)
1 portion of white fish (such as cod or snapper)
3 tips of Asparagus
Flat leafy parsley

Preparation

Bring soup to simmer. Add Seafood to soup. Add Asparagus. Simmer until fish flakes, mussels open and shrimp turn pink. Ganish with parsley if desired. Serve immediately.