… quickie post, as I’ve been non-stop, busting’ my balls!
Category Archives: cheese
baked chili… dos!
love these! individual ceramic bowls too!
Deep Dish San Marzano w/ White Veal Lasagna!
… went gangbusters shopping today! from grocery store to table, and proud of it!
… best mofo lasagna this side of Napoli!!
… pics! just pics y’all!!
meatballs, mushrooms, and marinara!
… m&m, & m! long story short; know damn well whole roasted mushrooms don’t belong – my 1st intent was meatball sandwiches. out the window that went. made my famous balls, instead served it simply. if served w/ $50 Barolo constitutes simply. next day, became my traditional spaghettini&meatballs (love this) meal. 3rd day turned into ‘the tossin’ the lot, the whole kit and kaboodle – then baking (my fave, btw – sorry, no pics) it. plus, still have 2 more days eats left! sweet, my 5 day eye-talian meal!
cold winter comfort food!
Rich and creamy homemade lentil noodle soup! Served along w/ preservative free Black Forest Ham & Canadian Edam on a COBS bun sandwich! Good, healthy eats on a frigid Canadian winter day!
best grocery store pizza Toronto!
… bar none! Helps that Metro had a 3 day sale; XL 16″ for $7.99 making it an incredible deal. But what separates it from others is that it has a thick crust, and more importantly retains heat, unlike those other garden grocery store varieties that lose heat immediately, before you even get it home … reminds me of frozen quality pizza! For both quality&quantity … not to mention the price … we’re talking yer basic pepperoni pie (loaded w/ lotsa cheese too) here folks, I’d pick-up this bad-boy over those other well known pizza chains any day!
new digs, and a new friend!
I LOVE my new kitchen, the whole place kinda rocks! New stainless steel fridge, new cabinets, counter-top, island, sink & faucet, above stove microwave, new backsplash, new bar stools … but the star of the show is a new gas stove!! My first time cooking w/ gas too. In fact I had a maiden meal all planned out, I wanted pasta w/ either braised/simmered oxtails, or veal shanks … but grocery store deals dictated otherwise, so it’s pasta w/ sausages & meatballs. Not too shabby a second fiddle! Oh, true story – wanted to serve my inaugural meal w/ a Barolo … and a couple days ago allowed myself a final budgetary indulgence. It was a front of the line, membership benefits I saw in my inbox, a limited release Barolo. Perfect timing! I pounced, and if any’s left, the rest of you plebes can search ‘n seek LCBO’s inventory, when it’s finally released to the general public. I payed the same price, $49.95/bottle (plus only $15 shipping) for the 2 bottles I bought. Oh, speaking of indulgences, I’m anxiously awaiting the arrival of my next to last one … that one should arrive anytime soon. Perhaps, another blogpost, lol?!
Ok, mostly pics, few words – better, eh? A couple of notes about my gas range. Of course we all know (even if you don’t own one, never have used one), the best feature is immediate heat. I love that. But, my fave new thing to get used to, is not only the incremental heat that is available, but unlike other types of ranges w/ burners that continually shut off, trying to moderate cooking temps – gas ranges don’t … there’s never that lull, the simmer/sizzle never stops. I LOVE that!! As promised, pics …
… yep, a sucker for sweet pussy!!
uhmm … wow!!
… re: previous post!!
my perfect omelette obsession!
… I’ve had it for years. It’s an ongoing, anal thing of mine, lol! Starts w/ the best ingredients! I’m partial to mushroom and cheese for fillings … cremini, and anything Swiss is my absolute favourite (and fresh thyme from my garden too – sadly, am still weeks away)! AND, don’t compromise; you MUST use the best/freshest eggs you can get! Whole Foods always fits the bill. Here’s my haul y’all!
Brown Eggs from Hens on Green Grass
organic cremini mushrooms
cave aged Gruyere
hey, don’t forget buying the best bacon
proof of my omelette obsession; a new pan purchase – Zwilling! Zweet!!
will post omelette pics later if photo worthy. if not remiss to snap some I mean, lol!
chicken noodle soup – in a pinch!
… emphasis on noodles! Feeling sick, under the weather, whipped this up without stopping at the grocery store. Had all I needed at home. Those are Hungarian egg noodles (sorry, no pic) from Starsky Fine Foods, they’re thin and short – like needles, when dry, but as you can see, really plump and sop up broth when cooked. Speaking of broth, that’s organic chicken broth I had in the pantry, PLUS I had organic baby kale in the fridge so I tossed that in as well. I like finishing with grated cheese (Romano Lupa), and hot sauce, today I went with good ole Tabasco. A few pics y’all!
Greek Dinner!!
Grilled chicken breast souvlaki w/ grilled sweet potatoes, onions & red peppers. Heirloom beefsteak tomato salad w/ English cucumber, Greek feta, freshly picked oregano and hand torn, generously drizzled w/ Acropolis Organic olive oil … w/ copious dollops of tzatziki!! Opa!!
roast beef w/ ooey-gooey provolone on rye!!
… toasted rye! Along w/ caramelized sweet onions & sautéed mushrooms too … and served w/ sweet potato fries. Dinner! YUMMOTHEREFF-O!
best burger at my house … and I didn’t even make it!!
… ok, ok, MAYBE not numero uno, but def in contention … we’ve (I, I folks, lol) made many a great burger through the years, this ranks right at the top. It’s Whole Foods ultimate burger … they have a gazillion to choose from, and I was being lazy (and running late), so I went old school basic (good quality beef, with 80/20 lean/fat ratio – minimum) and dressed it up myself … cremini mushrooms, jalapeño jack cheese, vidalia onion … w/ my homemade bomber sauce (low-fat mayo, mustard, bbq sauce, horseradish) … check out the pics, y’all!
look at the amount of fat …
doing their thang on the grill …
served w/ homecut fries (look at that OOZING cheese) …
pink, pink, and more pink … PERFECT …
Ontario Asparagus – First Crop!!
… washed and ready to hit the grill … gonna finish with sweet cherry tomatoes and Greek feta … served with pork souvlaki, homemade hummus, tzatziki and grilled pita bread … yep, that’s the plan dan …
end of the week, end of the month, celebratory shenanigans!!
… I needed this! And now home and going through my shitty, dark iPhone pics, using my Aviary app to make shitty, illuminated iPhone pics realize I’m almost one hour into June! A few pics … that’s my half eaten bison burger and frites! G’night, and God bless!!
Portuguese + Korean … meets Hawaiian?!
… Aloha!! New stuff from my Fortinos … pork burger with a Portuguese punch, condiment with a Korean kick, surrounded by sweet Hawaiian buns … sliced onion and Monterey Jack Cheese complete the package. The Verdict: best burgers EVER … both Tiff and I say so … then it must be so … I wanna hula, lol!! 😀
from the flyer (forgot to snap a pic earlier, sorry) …
PC Kimchi is the bomb on burgers …
next time tip: STEAM these …
piled high goodness …
mouthwatering close-up …
Friday BBQ!!
… Friday of a long weekend no less, Victoria Day for all ya numbskulls!! And ’cause it was a rush buying/prepping/takin’ pics/blogging … is pretty much a pic post!!
Certified Angus Beef
Look at that marbling
Cut into chunks, and secret-seasoned
Into the grinder, a medium grind
Corn; husked pull back, silk removed, water soaked, thrown on grill
Almost done
Sorry, no money-shot … cremini & gruyere burgers w/ a cob … did say rushed y’all, lol!!
Spinach and Cheese Frittata!!
OK, it was gonna be this (and sorry I forgot the name of this cheese. I do know it’s a hard cheese from Italy, and it’s very hard to source), but I had fresh tomatoes, and decided to throw in hot peppers to add some zip … but doesn’t Spinach and Cheese Frittata just SOUND better, lol? A few pics, enjoy!
love the layer of tomatoes …
slides off easily, from pan to plate …
a couple wedges … love the spinach …
Duck Pancakes!!
Finally getting around to blogging about Tiffany K‘s Duck Pancakes – pulled BBQ duck, a heaping helping of blueberry compote, and a huge scoop of creamy chèvre piled high on fresh flapjacks (I know, sounds SO decadently good!) from our initial brunch outing in November 2011 at Barque Smokehouse on Roncesvalles. Hey, better late than never, ‘sides, ain’t as if yer payin’ a pretty penny for the quality of my work … so no complainin’, lol. Found this pic, actually two pics – two perspectives … take a look! Neat!
mine with Tiff in the background snapping her shot
… and her pic (mine’s better, just sayin’, lol)
Grilled Rainbow Trout!!
… Greek style, my version at least. Bought four gorgeous fillets and laid them skin side down on heavy duty aluminum foil, seasoned them with sea salt, pepper, oregano, thinly sliced sweet onion, a bit of more seasoning, and finished by squeezing the juice from a lemon over top of it all. Using an equally sized piece of foil, I then covered it and folded the edges of both pieces together (making it airtight) and essentially created a pouch, which I threw on the hot grill. Now, while it’s more poaching, ’cause of being steamed in the pouch, I did manoever it over the hot coals to crisp the skin, as well as subtly infusing charcoal flavour … cooking it perfectly, if I do pat myself on the back saying so myself. Served with Boston lettuce, tomatoes, olives, and feta salad (and with pita bread and tzatziki – sorry, no pic), and drizzled with Acropolis (y’all must know the drill by now, lol), and you got yourself one helluva great Greek meal!
danistrulytheman 