Strawberry Cupcakes with Strawberry Buttercream

Oct 23, 2011

Strawberry Cupcakes with Strawberry Buttercream

I need to be open and honest about something; I’m not a great hostess. In truth it’s because I’ve never really hosted anything so I’m rusty, out of practice…those words imply I’d done it before and there had been a lapse since the last time. Let’s start over. I’m inadequate in the hosting department because I’ve never had the opportunity to host anything. This is the price I have paid for living in an apartment for the past ten years. Now that we’ve been blessed with huge new digs for a year, when the opportunity came up to host a baby shower for one of my favourite and funniest co-workers, I jumped at it.

It’s been awhile since my last post. My only excuse is that school is busy for teachers in September and October (not that it isn’t always) and I’ve been run-down. I’m sorry; It won’t happen again (until next September).

Since my entertaining chops were not where I wanted them to be, I decided to make up for my shortfalls by providing some kick-butt cupcakes for the crew to divulge in, hopefully erasing from their memories any semblance of “she’s clearly never done this before” and replacing those thoughts with “who cares if she’s never done this before, those cupcakes were flipping amazing!” I’m being over-dramatic as per usual but in all seriousness, I had high hopes for these Strawberry Cupcakes with Strawberry Buttercream from the February 2009 issue of Martha Stewart Living. You can view the recipe in its entirety, HERE .

The worst part of baking cupcakes is without a doubt, waiting for them to cool so you can ice them. The icing was thick and luxurious while smooth with the exception of the small pieces of pureed strawberries. In an effort to make them really pretty I tried piping the icing onto the tops but failed miserably. The pieces of strawberry made it impossible to pass through the icing tip without air pockets and gaps in the icing. I guess Martha knew best when she (or her food stylists) dirty-iced theirs for the recipe photo shoot.

I used a large ice cream scoop to fill the muffin liners, and the recipe said it would yield 34 cupcakes but in reality made more like 42. We ate cupcakes for days; it was ludicrous.

I’m from the east coast of Canada, where we know a little something about strawberry shortcake and hold it near and dear. The minute I started chopping strawberries for the batter, and pureeing strawberries for the icing, I started thinking about strawberry shortcake. As the Kitchen-Aid mixer did it’s thing, and the oven pre-heated, and I tried my best not to forget about the egg whites and sugar on the double-boiler, I had a thought; what if there was a cupcake that tasted exactly like strawberry shortcake, and wouldn’t that be the best thing since sliced bread?!

These cupcakes were a treat. Although time consuming to make which I did the day before the shower, they were absolutely delicious and tasted EXACTLY like the best strawberry shortcake; on a homemade biscuit, with a combination of pureed and chopped strawberries, and a scoop of whipped cream. I’d recommend this recipe to anyone looking to replicate the flavours and aromas of strawberry shortcake but looking for a more…shall we say, portable, alternative. Good on you, Martha! I’d make this one again.

Cheers,
Kristin

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Sep 24, 2011

It’s All Greek to Me

In our household, it’s a pretty common occurrence for me to pick the mister up from work and for us to grab a bite somewhere before heading home. It’s not that we don’t love to cook, we just love other people’s cooking more. I don’t think that’s such a bad thing; it meant that I recently got to hit up It’s All Greek to Me on Quinpool Road for an early supper. We waltzed in at around 4:30 and were surprised that the place was empty. We stood there for a minute wondering if they were in fact open or if they’d just left the door unlocked, when a really lovely server greeted us. We took a table by the window and got right down to business ordering a starter of skordalia. Skordalia is such a comfort food; the potatoes, the abundance of garlic and the richness of the olive oil make it a winner when served with pita bread, but we opted to have it served with Kolokithia, thick slices of zucchini breaded and deep fried to perfection. The brightness and warm, soft texture of the zucchini were made that much more delicious by the crunchy batter. I could eat this spread all day. I don’t care if it means I’ll have garlic emanating from my pores for the next twenty-four hours, because it’s worth it.

I’d really had my heart set on Moussaka, but was told the kitchen was out which surprised me since the supper rush had not yet begun. I opted instead for Pastichio, a close substituition for Moussaka with its similar meat sauce, and béchamel but with the addition of long macaroni noodles. For $14 it was served with roasted potatoes and a Greek salad. The béchamel held its form wonderfully and although delicious there wasn’t a chance of me being able to finish because of how rich it was. The meat was a consistent texture, moist and flavourful with a delicious blend of spices which had me savouring every bite. The noodles were slightly dry but it didn’t take away from the flavour of the dish.
I hereby profess my love of Greek roasted potatoes. With their lemony aroma and flavour they entice with a zesty lightness that has me coming back for more. As far as Greek salads go, they were generous with both the feta and the Kalamata olives (yay!) and it thankfully wasn’t drowning in dressing like so many Greek salads that have come across my plate.
I think my favourite part of the meal though was when I realized in a moment of panic that I didn’t have my wallet (nor did my dinner partner as I’d said this would be my treat) and I had to frantically drive home in rush hour traffic to retrieve it while he picked at the last bites on our plates for a solid twenty minutes. Hey, there’s a first time for everything. Let’s hope that never happens again though…

Cheers,
Kristin

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Sep 11, 2011

Dee Dee’s on Cornwallis Street Delights

I’m convinced that it would be impossible to write a negative, nay even a mediocre review of Dee Dee’s on Cornwallis Street. Fact of the matter is, both Dee Dee’s in Peggy’s Cove and the newer location in the North End make fresh, delightfully tasty ice cream using as many local ingredients as they can. I won’t lie, I have an ice cream craving almost nightly, and when I heard that Dee Dee’s had opened not far from my house it didn’t take much convincing to get me to head down for a scoop or two.
It was around 7:30 in the evening when we strolled in, and I was immediately struck by the bright, well-lit and friendly atmosphere of the small space. It was packed both inside and out with people eating and chatting. As we walked in the door, the smell of fresh-made waffle cones was both immediate and intoxicating. My mouth started watering almost instantaneously.
I stepped up to place my order, a scoop of my absolute favourite ice cream in existence, mint chocolate chip. I couldn’t stop there though; how boring, how predictable, how unadventurous of me. I opted for a scoop of Mexican chocolate ice cream to finish off my cone, resigned to the fact that I would probably love it, if only because my love for both chocolate and all things Mexicana runs deep.

It was love at first…lick. I’ve never had mint chocolate chip ice cream that wasn’t green, and the fact that this one was au naturel was enough to sell me on it right there. It had a ton of tiny chocolate chips which provided an excellent little crunch in every bite. The mint flavour was perfectly balanced, neither overwhelming nor too subtle and the ice cream itself was so creamy, so smooth and delightful…this is painful to write without a cone in hand. Whatever will I do now that I live in the ‘burbs, equal distance from both the Peggy’s Cove and Cornwallis Street locations?

As I neared the end of my scoop of mint chocolate chip, I got my first taste of what was to come with the Mexican chocolate and I was already wishing I had three (or more!) additional scoops of it to satisfy my sweet tooth. The richness of the chocolate alone sent me reeling with euphoria and then came the almost smoky, spicy aftertaste. I was in heaven. I’ve been searching all this time for that perfect combination of chocolate and heat and my typical go-to of Lindt dark chocolate with chiles just hadn’t been cutting it. I’m (almost) embarrassed to admit that after that first blissful visit to Dee Dee’s, I returned twice later that week, a true testament to the power of mouth-watering, made-from-scratch goods. If you haven’t already, head on down before the sun stops shining, and experience the truly delightful treat that is Dee Dee’s.

Cheers,
Kristin

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Aug 29, 2011

Baja-Style Fish Tacos

I love both tacos and fish and until fairly recently, could not wrap my head around the idea of the two together. I’d been dying to try them for awhile but didn’t want my first endeavour to be a homemade version in the event that I screwed it up and ended up disappointed. Although I’d never seen one on the menu at any local restaurant, I had a feeling there was more to a fish taco than meets the eye and wanted my “first time” so to speak to be magical, flavourful, exciting. Maybe that’s a lot to ask of a fish taco but I take my Tex Mex seriously, and so does most of the Eastern United States apparently. On my recent travels through Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut and last but not least New York, I first encountered the elusive fish taco at a place called Cervesas in Newport, Maine, which was the subject of a previous review. Delighted, I went on to order fish tacos again later that week at a place in Massachusetts where I was equally enthralled by this flavourful and spicy dish. Over a month later here I sat, craving the smoky heat of the chipotle and the sour of lime and wondering what to do. I’m trying to eat healthier, so I searched the internet for a figure friendly fish taco recipe and found one on the Weight Watchers website.
Weight Watchers Baja Style Fish Tacos
Ingredients
2 spray(s) cooking spray
1/2 cup(s) yellow masa corn flour
1 tsp table salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp paprika
1 pound(s) snapper fillet(s), red-variety, cut into 2-inch pieces
8 medium corn tortilla(s), buy a few extra in case some break
1 head(s) romaine lettuce, outer leaves removed and remaining leaves sliced into 1/4-inch strips 5 medium radishes, red-variety, thinly sliced
2 medium scallion(s), thinly sliced
10 medium cherry tomato(es), quartered
1/4 cup(s) shredded red cabbage
3/4 cup(s) low-fat plain yogurt
2 Tbsp fresh lime juice
1 tsp canned chipotle peppers, in adobo sauce, finely chopped
2 Tbsp cilantro, fresh sprigs, for garnish

You can see the full recipe with instructions HERE at weightwatchers.ca

I moseyed down to Pete’s in search of red snapper after being unsuccessful at both Superstore and Sobey’s in the North End, and was aghast that it was priced at $15.99 a pound. Naturally, I needed a pound. I thought about substituting with halibut but the going price for it was $19.99 so I bit the bullet and bought old reliable haddock at $4.99 a pound. I patted myself on the back as I left for not being tempted to overspend. Yes, I`m sure it would have tasted delicious with snapper or halibut but let me tell you, these fish tacos were to die for!

The fish was tender and the breading was spicy and crunchy and smoky all at once. The crunch of the slaw combined with that hearty corn tortilla flavour hot out of the oven made me wish I was sitting on a patio with a Corona enjoying this delectable meal. The real kicker however wasn’t the fish, tortilla or slaw, but the chipotle-lime yogurt dressing drizzled on top. Cold and creamy but with a real kick of heat from the chipotles in adobo, you can’t beat the variety of flavours and heat that this recipe provides.

If you’ve never tried fish tacos and want a quick, easy recipe that’s fail-safe, this one gets an A+ in my books.

Cheers,
Kristin

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Aug 22, 2011

Cha Baa Thai – A Personal Confession

Is it bad that I’m sitting here salivating as I write this review? I need to get this off my chest – I am addicted to Cha Baa Thai. I eat at this fine establishment between three to four times per month and would probably have supper there every night if I wouldn’t go broke doing so. It’s embarrassing to admit but until now I haven’t reviewed this favourite of mine for one reason: The food comes to the table and I inhale it. I don’t have time to get out my phone or camera to snap a photo because it’s so darn good (and good looking) that it’s gone before I have a chance. Whether it’s eat-in, delivery or pick-up, I can honestly say that I have been 100% satisfied every time I have eaten there.
My usual order is the Green Curry with vegetables but lately I’ve been going for the Red Curry with vegetables for $12.50. The vegetables are never overdone, always have a little bite to them and each and every vegetable is distinguishable in taste through the spicy curry. This is one spicy curry that stays true to the integrity of the vegetables and for that, I give it props. To me there is nothing better than dumping the whole bowl of hot and delicious curry over a plate of jasmine rice and letting it soak up all that flavour.
Dave ordered the Masaman Curry with Chicken for the same price and really loved it, although commented that he should have got his usual Masaman Curry with Vegetables because it has so much variety of flavour, whereas the chicken is just…well, chicken. We always split the medium jasmine rice for $4.50 and I encourage you to try their deep-fried spring rolls which are 4 for $6.95. We may or may not have eaten those so quickly that I was unable to garner a photo…oops! I’ll let you draw your own conclusions.
I was thrilled to see that Cha Baa carries my favourite local summer brew, the Garrison Raspberry Wheat Ale, so I got to work enjoying that beautiful specimen the moment it arrived at the table.
I should mention that although my treks to Cha Baa originally began with their Queen Street location, I have since switched to their newer Burnside restaurant. I enjoy the atmosphere and service there a great deal, and it is never as busy as the downtown location.
If you’re in the area, Cha Baa has great lunch specials with the above curries, rice and a spring roll for only $10. You can’t beat that price for delightful Thai cuisine.
Cheers,
Kristin

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