Sunday Waffles

Feb 10, 2009

Scott had wanted to showcase his new Waring Pro Belgian Waffle Maker #WMK300A for some time.  He imported it directly from the US via TheKitchenStore.com and he was updating me as he was keeping an eye on its progress with the tracking number.

The Waring Pro WMK300A  features extra-deep pockets to produce the thickest Belgian Waffles available! There is a 180-degree rotary feature that ensures even baking on the top and bottom and a superb control knob lets you pick a shade of brown between light and dark!

There is even an audio Beep to indicate that the Waring Pro WMK300A is ready to bake, and another one when the waffle is finished baking! Marvelous. If you have hearing problems, there are also LED indicators in place to help making a perfect waffle. Every time.

The beast had to be tested.

A bunch of us were therefore invited to witness the miracle, and a miracle we witnessed.
He was really proud to host a brunch to warm our hearts in the heart if February with fresh, warm waffles.

First, he had to make sure we wouldn’t run out of meat.  He grilled a few sausages and fried some bacon.

Second, he had to provide some garnishes for the waffles.  Fresh berries were the pick of the day, a colourful selection was on hand.

Third, he had to pour his homemade waffle mix into the Waring Pro WMK300A.

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A very rich dinner

Uncategorized
Feb 8, 2009

Tania was in town for a rare time, and she wanted someone to host a dinner in her honour.  And I was voluntold I had to do it, which I did happily.

For the starter, I made a cream of broccoli and cheddar soup.  

Broccoli, of course, onions, potatoes, herbs.  2 year old cheddar.  A bit of cream.  Very smooth, not too rich.  It is easier to get a nice green colour if you make sure your vegetable has plenty of leaves.

The next course would involve a vodka sauce:

Very simple – two cans of crushed tomatoes, 2 cups of 35% cream, herbs, onions, garlic, and 1 cup of vodka.  I intended to have only 1 cup of cream, but ended up adding more in the end.  Quite rich, quite smooth, quite tasty.

I used the sauce to create some Penne alla vodka with boar sausages:

The penne were al dente, the sauce was very good, and everything worked well with the boar sausages.  

These boar sausages are from the Par Toutatis farm, in Farrellton, QC.  This farm, owned by Jean-Luc L’Écuyer, raises grain-fed and free range boar, and also rabbits.  You can inquire about their products here, but they do specialize in sausages.  The meat is not cheap (between 10$ and 12$ for 625g) but it is totally worth it.  Great quality, low fat.  It is however not 100% boar, some pork meat is involved.  

For dessert, Mel made creamy pecan and walnut brownies topped with raspberries.  (Yes that’s right, she bakes, I cook.)  
They were baked in individual servings and (she tells me) are really a cross between a brownie and a soufflé (something to do with egg whites). The fresh raspberries on top gave an extra tang to the dish, finishing it off perfectly.
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The Chili-Lovers’ Chili!

Feb 4, 2009

I had chili for lunch.  Third time this week (first for the Super Bowl at my friend Norm’s place, second at Brixton’s yesterday for their Consumer Appreciation Party), so I figured I would go for the chili hat-trick.

Some time ago, I got a coupon for a can of Stagg Chili. Can’t remember how I got it, but I did buy a can, and it’s been sitting in my cupboard for a while.  But no longer.

Stagg Foods was established in 1956 as Rocking K Foods. The company first manufactured its products in Sante Fe Springs, California, but then moved production to Hillsboro, Oregon. In 1980, the company’s name was changed to Stagg Foods. In October of 1996, Stagg Foods was acquired by Hormel, the creator of the real Spam – the luncheon meat that is.

I never had a can of Stagg chili before. They have 12 varieties, from vegetarian (which I’m told is quite good) to beef, chicken or turkey. But the one I had to try was their Dynamite Hot.  Beef, tomatoes and pink beans are the main ingredients, and the spices include chili seasoning, jalapeno peppers and dehydrated habanero peppers.  Apparently, this variety is cathing fire with chili lovers everywhere! 

I was actually pleasantly surprised with the heat. This was quite hot.  I wouldn’t quite call it dynamite, but the heat was definetely much higher then I was expecting.  It is a fact that most corporations and restaurants are shy on the heat, in order not to offend anyone.  But with 12 varieties, I guess they could afford to ignite this version a little, and it made for a pretty good chili, all considering.  At first, you open the can and it kinds of smell like Chef Boy-ar-dee.  The chili flavour and aroma are released when you heat your meal.  It is a fairly thick chili, beef-generous, but with no real veggetables in it.  Ther level of bean is not bad either.

Most of Stagg’s Chili are low in fat, but a can of Dynamite will add 29g of fat to your intake, or 44% of the recommended daily intake.  Only one other variety, the Steak House, has more fat then the Dynamite.

As expected, it was also quite salty.  Which makes this thing very tasty.  I’d recommend it as a quick and easy lunch, but it won’t beat my homemade chili.  Or Obama’s.

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He Shoots, He Scores!

Dec 19, 2008

I was off today, and decided to pick Melissa up for lunch.  She had an errand to run at the SAAQ – a Quebec driver’s licence, no less – just by picking that up she improves her driving about 40% over an Ontarian licence holder – and I thought lunch would be a nice reward for becoming a good driver.

I enticed her into going to Scores in the Mont-Bleu area of the Hull sector in Gatineau.  It would be a change from St-Hubert, a definite Melissa favorite. Scores is a Montreal-based chain of restaurants, established in 1995, which has 38 locations in Quebec and 3 more in Ontario, with plans to open new locations in Ottawa and Oakville. It was bought in 2005 by PDM Royalties Income Fund, who also owns Pizza Delight, Mikes and Bâton Rouge.  (You can find my latest post on Bâton Rouge here!)

Their menu obviously focuses on chicken, but they are also pushing their ribs as their specialty. And today, they certainly are pushing their ribs, with a winter promotion of a full rack of BBQ Baby Back Ribs platter for $9.99!! I had no choice but to go for that, since it was bascially 50% off their regular price, and it also included the all-you-can-eat soup and salad bar – oh, and fruit!!

They use different deep fryers for their fries and other products, which makes for clean fries, of a good quality.  The classic burger bun is ok, and the bbq sauce is also decent; a bit liquid but not as salty as other rotisserie sauce. The ribs were very tender.  Nicely done with a nice sweet bbq sauce, which was, however, spread unevenly on the rack. Melissa went for the classic chicken breast.  The chicken was nice and juicy, a good quality bird.  The skin could have been crispier, but we’re not supposed to eat it anyway, are we? Melissa complained that the sauce didn’t attach itself to the things you would dip it in, which in my opinion is not that bad of a sign.

I also have to mention the salad bar, which was included with our meal.  It is fresh, lots of variety, with two choices of soup (today, chicken noodle and a tomato cream were offered) and plenty of fresh fruit if you are looking to skip the dessert for a healthy way to end your meal. All of that cost us under $30, taxes and tips included.  

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