Mediterranean Tomato Salad

This past weekend we were invited to our friends house for a little get together; to catch up, have some laughs, alongside with delicious food and wine. I took upon my self to bring a few appetizers. I love bringing food when getting together with friends, little less for our hosts to think about and to do. After all, getting together should be fun not stressful and time consuming. Having a busy day myself, I was looking forward to making something easy, delicious and something that wouldn't keep me in the kitchen for too long. One more restriction, Celiac-friendly.

I was still in a mood for something Mediterranean, to transport me to a warm and sunny place, this winter has been too long. As a result I felt like making my wonderful Escargot Stuffed Mushrooms and a delicious Mediterranean Tomato Salad with gourmet tomatoes. My local supermarket sells pre-packaged "Gourmet Tomatoes", my inspiration for this salad. Inside the plastic container are countless varieties of tomatoes; some are very small, some are larger, they include cherry and grape varieties, some are green, orange and the list goes on. I'm not sure of all the different kinds but one thing is for sure, they all are delicious, sweet and taste as if kissed by the sun. Unlike some other tomatoes that are tasteless, green from being picked to early and stored in the fridge for who knows how long.

Buying such a delicious product makes making a delectable salad very easy. I combined the tomatoes with some good quality olive oil, balsamic vinegar, fresh basil and sage leaves, seasoned with some sea salt and black pepper and garnished with good Romano cheese.... My friends loved it!! They said they never had a better tomato salad, I can't take all the credit, hat's off to tomato farmers where ever they are.

To view a full recipe click here.

Valentine's Day Pink Risotto

I love the idea of making dinner together, especially at Valentine's Day. My husband and I often do that, and it's really relaxing and soulful. I ask him to help stir and he always feels important and delighted to help.

It a great way to spend time in the kitchen together because the process of making risotto is just so easy, no room for fights :-). Especially as its slow-paced and leaves a lot of time for talking and stirring. I always put some slow and sexy music in the background, light candles and open a bottle of bubbly or our favorite wine of the moment. It doesn't have to be an expensive bottle, it just should be something that you enjoy.

Before making risotto, cheer to your happiness and many years of love to come. Then stir and chat and have a sip of champagne or wine while making your meal. The final result is not only delectable but your combined labour of love. A delicious and wonderful way to celebrate Valentine's day and any other day. Visit my site to read this recipe.

Dinner in North Bay's Canadore College Culinary School

Last week while visiting our family in North Bay we were lucky to have lunch at the North Bay Canadore College Culinary School. I say that we were lucky because there appears to be an air of exclusivity to dine there. There is a substantial waiting list, and the school does not publicly advertise however somehow everyone knows about it and people wait months to have lunch or dinner at the school.

Apple Fritters. They may not be in the category of 'diet foods' however they are delicious. A pure perfection. The best I ever had.

Lawrence and I were were looking forward to this lunch for months, very exciting. How often do you get a chance to dine at a culinary school?

Spring Rolls. Delicious spring rolls wrapped in philo pastry. Yummy and sizable appetizer. One of my favorites.

The best thing about this experience is that you participate along with students in their learning, while they train in the many aspects of hospitality industry. It is great to see how professional they are while serving water, how masterfully the table is set, and its wonderful to reassure them when they get a little nervous that they are doing a good job.

Mulligatawny Soup. With a touch of curry and apples a magnificent concoction.

The lunch menu had a choice of 3 appetizers, 4 main courses and 3 desserts. Between my husband and I and his parents we tasted almost everything. Collectively everything was delectable and service flawless. As far as I know the menu changes each semester. It really adds to a dinning experience and the students learn to make different things.

Salad Algonquin.

I would recommend that you look into contacting a culinary college in your community and see if they serve lunch or dinner. This really was a wonderful and unique experience partially due to the educational aspect but also to the wonderful menu slections that were representative of the local Northern Ontario region. At the end of the day the food may not be as perfect as in a high-end professional restaurant but to me it was a heart warming experience to participate in a learning adventure for those students. Plus it can be surprising how good the entire ambiance, food and experience can be, much better than in some 'established restaurants'.

Beef Provencal.

Jamaican Vegetable Turn-Over.

Raspberry Mousse Mirror Cake.

Coupe Pomegranate.

We had a wonderful, interesting and most importantly delicious experience. Hopefully next time will try dinner! :-)

A Dazzling Dinner Party and The Best Wine Ever

Over the past week my husband and I took a week off to visit family and friends. In the next little while I will write about all of the interesting and delicious things we did however today I will write about one of the highlights of our vacation which was visiting our dear and wonderful friends. Our schedules and the fact that we live in different cities don't allow us to see each other too often. However when the stars align at the right moment and we finally get together we always have an amazing time.

For this visit we decided that we would have a cooking party at their beautiful home. I love these types of gatherings, the atmosphere is more personable and relaxed, everyone feels at ease, we all can catch up and at the same time lend a hand with making something delicious and simple.

The menu idea came from Lawrence and myself. Since we just recently returned from Japan we thought it would be fun to make sushi for our friends. Hence the Asian dinner theme developed. On the menu: Variety of Dim Sum Dumplings, Spring Rolls, Vegetable and Shrimp Tempura and Sushi. Plus a lot of delicious and breathtaking wines.

To celebrate our visit our friends opened a number of very special wines from their wine cellar. They were all delicious and melt in your mouth delectable but one in particular stood out from the rest.

Alban Vineyards Reva Syrah 2003, Edna Valley, Calfornia, USA

This wine was 'melt in my mouth' perfect. A full body syrah with immense aromas of cassis jumping out of the glass. However the wine didn't taste overpowered by fruit, it was thick and smooth and extremely velvety. This wine is perfectly balanced, it spilled all over the taste buds creating an unforgettable experience of luxury and wine perfection. The tannis are detectable but blend marvelously in with all the other flavours to create a velvety mouthfeel.

This wine is perfectly crafted and balanced. The best wine I have ever tasted and if I could imagine a perfect wine this would be it.

As the evening grew into the night we spend countless hours chatting, laughing and enjoying each others company. We ate delicious food, we drunk amazing wine and even some fabulous pink champagne. It was a perfect night with perfect friends, and we look forward to many more.

Thank you so much for sharing your treasures with us, we truly appreciate it and we can't wait to have another wonderful evening with you guys as soon as the stars align to a perfect consolation.