Tag: food

Food and Friends

~ Book Dragon ~ 2 Comments

At 6 pm, while I was shutting down my work computer, ready to head home, my cell phone unexpectedly rings. A friend calls explaining that she just needed to talk to someone as she had a trying day. As she shares I hear her voice became less shaky. However. through all the words I could hear the words she was not uttering:

This is hard and never ending.

I am weary.

I am scared.

In a moment of inspiration and grace, I asked her “What are you doing for dinner? I am hungry! I want to treat you. Consider it an early birthday present.”

We ran through possibilities of where to eat – ruling out restaurants that are closed Monday evenings.

In a spark of inspiration, I asked her “How about Ahn and Chi?”

She resoundingly said, “Yes.”

We meet up at the restaurant and are fortunately swiftly seated in the patio. There are always line ups at this restaurant because it received a Michelin Bib Gourmand designation – an award well deserved.

The food is scrumptious – light, flavorful, a symphony of flavors dancing along our palate.

View from patio towards Main Street.
Pork and Enoki Mushroom Spring Rolls
Char-Grilled Beef Short Ribs.
Steamed Rice Sheets

We left sated: physically full on nourishing food and our soul plumped up by companionship and a long lived friendship.

It is NOT Vanilla Ice Cream

~ Book Dragon ~ 15 Comments

Andrea’s Slice yesterday about a version of Vanilla ice cream prompted this memory.

Ice cream, unless you have a lactose intolerance, is universally loved. You may have flavours you prefer, but ice cream is ice cream – yummy!

Well dear reader, I discovered an ice cream that was NOT yummy.

How could this occur, you may ask.

Take a chef, hosting a Pacific Northwest themed dinner, who took it far too literarily.

Appetizers and main course – delightful!

Dessert plated on cedar plank, matches theme – cute.

I nibble on the cake – palatable but frankly not that great. I take a spoonful of ice cream and pop it into my mouth. Initial impressions – smooth and creamy.

But then wait –

What is that horrid taste? I turn to my friend, looking at her aghast. Her face is slightly green. She pipes up, “What the heck did they do to ruin a perfectly good ice cream?”

Cedar – they added cedar flavouring!

A mealy, woody flavour lingered in our mouths.

It was definitely NOT vanilla ice cream.

Baking Ba-Humbug

~ Book Dragon ~ 11 Comments

Have you ever excitedly baked something and it didn’t turn out exactly the way you hoped?

Well, dear reader, I have coined this a Baking Ba-Humbug

Cue the set, yesterday evening:

Cut, core, slice pears

Cut, core, slice apples. Pare off bruised bits.

Toss with spices – nutmeg, cinnamon, cardamom

Add in sugar

A squeeze of lemon

Let sit while forming crumble.

Notice fruit bowl now contains a LOT of liquid.

Toss in a dollop of flour. Stir.

Grease baking dish.

Still lots of liquid in fruit bowl. Toss in a couple of handfuls of oatmeal.

Place fruit in baking dish, top with crumble.

Bake.

Let cool slightly.

Scoop serving into a bowl.

Notice , that the fruit portion is a little bit dry.

Ba Humbug I shouldn’t have added that large dollop of flour and extra oatmeal.

At least the crumble, would still be good for breakfast

– as long as it accompanied by Vanilla yogurt.

Morning Sounds

~ Book Dragon ~ 8 Comments

Cat lap, lap, lapping at the water bowl below my feet

Double smoked thick sliced bacon sizzling in the skillet

Cooking fan whirl, whirl, whirling

Eggs sputter, spattering in the saucepan

Microwave beep, beep, beeping announcing the rewarmed coffee

Grumble, grumble grumble goes my hungry tummy

These are a few of the sounds of my morning.

Antidote

~ Book Dragon ~ 5 Comments

Masala chai: antidote to dreary day.

Snow capped North Shore mountains

Freezing rain lashing umbrella to and fro.

Gray leaden clouds

Chilled limbs

Damp clothes

Errands to and fro

Time to head home.

Travel mug in trunk

Detour to café with best chai in town.

Masala chai: antidote to dreary day.

What do you do or have when it’s a dreary day?

Six Word Memoir

~ Book Dragon ~ 7 Comments

Breakfast – a hearty start to day

Yukon Gold potatoes with Kerrygold pure Irish butter, two eggs over easy sprinkled with Maldon sea salt and pork breakfast sausages.

What did you eat to start your day?

Fib Poem

~ Book Dragon ~ 6 Comments

What’s a Fib? Math plus poetry.​

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Greg Pincus, a writer and librarian, created Fib poetry in 2006. He wanted to write something which highlights the importance of word choice and how you can say so much with so little.  He figured if he could write poems like this it would help him be a better writer.​

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A Fib is  a six line, 20 syllable poem with a syllable count by line of 1/1/2/3/5/8 – the classic Fibonacci sequence. In short, start with 0 and 1, add them together to get your next number, then keep adding the last two numbers together for your next one.​

I wanted to write a fun poem that second and third graders would enjoy. I used today’s lunch for inspiration. (We had a professional development day and organized a favourite meal.)

Yummy Lunch

Chomp

Munch

Baked

potatoes

Loaded with toppings!

Gobble gobble munch munch – whiz gone.