Leftovers on a lazy Friday NYE

 Happy New Years Eve!

So i took today off again, there's nothing to do at work!

Last week we had a Christmas party at work, catered by pickle barrel, where there were deli platters and bread platters etc for a make your own sandwich deal... i took 2 platters home...(one was all romaine lettuce bits, so contain your judgement, thanks)

so I still have like 500 grams of random deli meats left, (i swear it just regenerates in its container... ive had deli meated ceasar salads, omlettes, sandwiches all week!), and 2 little bits of foccacia bread and decided to make a Monte Cristo type, with turkey, and pastrami, and hard goat cheese... smothered in maple syrup... mmm...

and for the rest of the deli meats i put it in this onion, mushroom, tomato omlette, again with hard goat cheese... im stuffed... 

This is what SEXY looks like

Last year, me and my friend Jenny hit New York for a week, that was the week i dropped a grand on food, lol.... i'll touch on that one day.  But i still think about this, i dream about it, nothing can compare as of yet... seriously, look how amazing this is, SANS photoshop, put that on a magazine cover... those curves, the crispy tomato and the wavy freshness of the letteuce... and the melted cheese, holy crap...

Oh i forgot the introductions: This is the Shack Stack, the $8.75 USD burger from Shake Shack that features a Cheeseburger PLUS a shroom patty, which is a crisp fried portobello filled with melted muenster cheese ...

This is what a burger should look like... 

and then I took a bite, and time stood still...

Restaurant: Lemon Grass @ Richlane Mall in Richmond Hill, Ont

One of my resolutions since forever is to make my own lunch.... and it happens.. once in a while.  But anyway, so there's this awesome asian mall by my work, the Richlane Mall: 9425 Leslie Street 16th Avenue Richmond Hill, Ontario.  One of the restaurants Chris and I go to for lunch is Lemon Grass: Southeast asian cuisine. 

I generally get the rare beef pho ($5.95 small), and you know, being from Vancouver, we're snobby about everything, but this is really good pho!  The broth is super tasty, they serve it like, 30 seconds after you order it, the noodles are perfect texture, and the piece de resistance: the beef. beef was tender and rare, I generally have to ration my meat to noodles, so I have enough beef to last my whole noodle soup eating experience, but i totally didnt even have to ration! I even had enough to give Chris a few pieces, enough to put the fatty pieces aside to be healthy (i ended up eating them anyway, i'm disgusting like that)

Chris got the Grilled Lemon Grass Pork on Vermicelli with Spring Roll ($7.95)... i tried the spring roll, it's got the skin i like, with a nice chew and crisp on the outside, didn't try the pork, since i kinda felt bad cause he got shafted i think, he didnt get enough meat to fulfill his needs (tho last time he got the lemon grass chicken on rice, he had his fill and i took his leftovers... maybe they just put enough pork on there to cover the vermicelli... cheats!)

Oh yeah, we saw this guy eating a Roti Curry at the next table and snapped this picture, cause, im creepy like that... wanna try that roti next time.

P.S. i can still smell the nasty fish roe on the table. 

Not my Swedish dish...

I've been hanging out at Ikea like twice a week for the last month, trying to find a dresser, but always getting distracted by everything else.  So instead of picking up a dresser one day (which i have now! thanks for asking), i picked this lil piece up (not referring to the blonde boy... that's just wrong). 

Sounds promising! Kalles Kaviar Creamed Smoked Fish Roe w/ Dill... love roe, love dill should be a happy marriage!

First clue:  food that looks like industrial strength glue =

BLEUGH! says me. who knows, you might like it. but looking at the ingredients it goes: Fish Roe, RAPESEED oil (apparently that's real), Sugar... ew sugar roe? sugar smoked roe?

I'll put it in my mouth right now, its got that fishy flavour, the first punch in your mouth is this sweet salty sting and only after that do you kinda taste this smokyness in your throat. it is so not good. i'm going to rinse my mouth in lemon juice and ajax now.

Lunch: Leftovers on a lazy Thursday

 I skipped work today basically cause I was up all night playing Lego Indiana Jones, and there really wasn't anything to do today. So I heated up some leftovers I made.

Mussels in curry + coconut milk + beer broth

I love making mussels, its so cheap ($1.99/lb) oppose to paying like $17.99 for an appy, OR like $9.99 for like 8 mussels at Guu (tho the Sake broth, mmm).  I don't really have a recipe for this, except I always have garlic, and ginger, onions and carrots, (didn't have celery for a true mirepoix), this time i put some tomatoes and like sauteed that in butter, threw in some curry and turmeric power, with some chilli peppers, S&P, chicken stock, beer, coconut milk and voila! Done. Buttered some baby croissants to dip and nom nom nom!

Chocolate Mousse

I made this at a Christmas potluck 2 weeks ago, ppl told me they liked it, but it could have been sooooo much better... the recipe suggested using good quality chocolate, and i cheaped out and used store brand chocolate chips and it was grainy and too sweet.  So this time, for my personal collection, i used fine quality chocolate (mixed between half dark and half milk), and it was so light, and texture was so smooth!

Below is the recipe i started with, I've made it so many times now, I just throw it together: for me i like using more whipped cream to subdue the chocolate, and I only add the sugar to the whipped cream so it's not too sweet, or however you like it. 

The first time i made it, I didnt have a hand blender... it took me FOREVER to whip it (since i tripped the recipe too...) I suggest have a hand blender, or prepare to sweat a lot. 

 I wonder how it would taste if i threw in some sea salt at the end, loving the salty chocolate combo!

Chocolate Mousse:

4 ounces (115 grams)bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, cut into small pieces

2 tablespoons (28 grams) unsalted butter, cut in small pieces

2 large eggs, separated

1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar

3 tablespoons sugar, divided

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/2cup (120 ml) heavy whippingcream 

Garnish: (optional)

Whipped Cream

Fresh Raspberries

Shaved Chocolate

Chocolate Mousse:In a medium-sized stainless steel bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water, melt the chocolate and butter. Remove from heat and set aside to cool for a few minutes. Then whisk in the two egg yolks. Refrigerate while you whip the egg whites and whipping cream.

In the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), whip the two egg whites with the cream of tartar until foamy. Gradually add two tablespoons of sugar and continue to beat until stiff peaks form, yet the whites are still glossy and not dry. Set aside.

In another bowl, whip the heavy cream, remaining one tablespoon sugar, and vanilla extract until soft peaks form.  

Remove the chocolate mixture from the refrigerator, and stir a couple of spoonfuls of the beaten egg whites into the chocolate mixture to lighten it, and then fold the remaining whites into the chocolate mixture, gently but thoroughly. Fold in the whipped cream.

Spoon the chocolate mousse into six individual serving dishes or glasses. Cover and refrigerate for a couple of hours. Can serve with additional whipped cream, fresh raspberries and/or shaved chocolate.

Makes: 6

Source: http://www.joyofbaking.com/ChocolateMousse.html

MMM SOUP!

Tim Hortons, beloved Canadian institution, full of disgusting crap i only eat cause i'm desperate and hungry. There isn't anything redeeming about the timmy's menu... i hate the sandwiches, the chilli is thick, salty and gross, and the soups are made with salt and soaked feet, i'll eat it, cause its the least offensive, i mean donuts, are donuts, and cookies, and coffee, there's a standard there that's pretty level.  But I never leave satisfied, or happy. Until.... their new Creamy SunDried Tomato with Roasted Garlic Soup appeared! 

Creamy Sundried Tomato with Roasted Garlic SoupSundried and diced tomatoes simmered in a creamy broth with roasted garlic, basil and cream.

Seriously, it's so good, it has become my go-to work lunch quick meal, its hearty and full of sundried tomatoes chunks (if you're into that), the flavour's robust and layered, and the creamy texture of it, mmmm i love creamy soups!  I usually get a bagel in addition to the lil bun, cause it's so dip-able, (eating it alone is a lil salty for me) and yes, it's still salty, i mean it's fast food, but, i really think it's as good as any restaurant styled soup.  It's only available for a limited time, so go check it out!

Jessica Eats Ontario

I've been always meaning to start a food blog; i love food, i eat it, and like every other creepy asian, i love taking pictures of my food, i mean aboriginals drew cave paintings of buffalo, like, its intrinsic to document your food... or that's my theory of the day.  Unfortunately, unlike most bloggy azns, i dont have a 1500 DSLR camera.  My image capturer of choice is my crappy work blackberry, mainly because I can upload pictures without taking out my piece of crap lap top.  I really am a crappy azn with my bottom of the line electronics.

Anyway, just wanted to get things started, on this day that I have nothing to do at work...

Hope to have things posted soon!

Jessica