foodmamma

celebrating with cake – food mamma is six!

March 21, 2016 By Fareen 4 Comments

I love March. It’s the start of Spring, my birthday month as well as the anniversary of my blog.

I am excited to be celebrating six years of Food Mamma! Q was only one when I started the blog. Things sure have changed. Z is turning two next month and I am so lucky to have both my boys happy to help in the kitchen. It’s always fun to create fun and tasty treats with my loves and be able to document it through my blog. I am also grateful for the friends and connections I have made.

We will be celebrating with some great giveaways from some of my amazing partners. Stay tuned to win with Cactus Club, Canada Beef, Cococo Chocolatiers, Edo Japan, Robert Rose and Terra Foods.

Of course we can’t have a celebration without cake. Here is a round up of some fabulous cakes, thanks to some fellow food bloggers. Now to decide which one to make….

Super Chocolatey Coca Cola Cake from Merry About Town
http://merryabouttown.com/super-chocolatey-coca-cola-cake/

Better Than Nutella Cheesecake from The Taste Space
https://tastespace.wordpress.com/2013/03/20/better-than-nutella-cheesecake-almost-raw-chocolate-hazelnut-cheesecake/

Japanese Cheesecake from Tiny Sweet Tooth
http://tinysweettooth.com/2016/02/28/japanese-cheesecake/

Blueberry Crumb Cake from Dish ‘N’ The Kitchen
https://dishnthekitchen.wordpress.com/2015/07/11/blueberry-crumb-cake-cool-summer-days-are-meant-for-baking/

Vanilla Caramel Cake from Crumb Kitchen
http://crumbkitchen.com/2016/02/29/vanilla-caramel-cake/

Raisin Filled Spice Cake from Jo and Sue
http://joandsue.blogspot.ca/2015/09/raisin-filled-spice-cake.html

Salted Dark Chocolate Tart from Kitchen Uncorked
http://kitchenuncorked.com/2015/05/29/salted-dark-chocolate-tart/

Easy Cake Pops from Bake for Granted
http://www.bakeforgranted.com/easy-cake-pops/

Triple Layer Chocolate Ganache Cake from Julia’s Cuisine
http://www.juliascuisine.com/home/triple-layer-chocolate-ganache-cake

Dean and Heather’s Cake from Nutmeg Disrupted
http://nutmegdisrupted.com/sweet-2/dean-and-heathers-cake/

Champagne and Vanilla Bean Cake from My Kitchen Love
http://www.mykitchenlove.com/pop-like-cork/

Chocolate and Peanut Butter Drip Cake from I Say Nomato
http://isaynomato.com/chocolate-and-peanut-butter-drip-cake/

Buttermilk Clove Cake with Brown Sugar Fudge Frosting from Bridget’s Green Kitchen
http://www.bridgetsgreenkitchen.com/2015/12/buttermilk-clove-cake-with-fudge-frosting.html

Savarin Framboise from Beth Dunham
http://bethdunham.ca/updatesnews/2013/7/6/savarin-framboise

Paleo Curry Carrot Cake from The Primal Desire
http://theprimaldesire.com/paleo-curry-carrot-cake/

Lime and Coconut Cake from A Virtual Vegan
http://avirtualvegan.com/lime-coconut-cake/

Rum and Eggnog Tres Leches from The Yum Yum Factor
http://theyumyumfactor.blogspot.ca/2012/01/rum-and-eggnog-tres-leches-cake.html

Vegan Chocolate Pumpkin Loaf Cake from Vegan Lovelie
http://veganlovlie.com/2015/11/vegan-chocolate-pumpkin-loaf-cake-recipe.html

Apple and Orange Vegan Loaf Cake from Vegan Lovelie
http://veganlovlie.com/2015/10/apple-and-orange-vegan-loaf-cake.html

Brownie Cake from Bakers Beans
http://www.bakersbeans.ca/brownie-cake/

Chocolate Curry Coconut Cake from My Dish is Bomb
http://mydishisbomb.com/chocolate-curry-coconut-cake/

Chic Choc Chocolate Cream Cake from She Loves Biscotti
http://www.shelovesbiscotti.com/chic-choc-chocolate-cream-cake/

Boozy Orange Chocolate Naked Cake from Eye Candy Popper
http://www.eyecandypopper.com/boozy-orange-chocolate-naked-cake/

Almond Bundt Cake from Ilona’s Passion
http://ilonaspassion.com/almond-bundt-cake/

navroz mubarak!

March 20, 2016 By Fareen Leave a Comment

For those of you celebrating Navroz, we wish you a year of peace, happiness, love and all the sweet things in life. Navroz Mubarak!

via cibo

March 19, 2016 By Fareen Leave a Comment

Via Cibo has opened it’s second location in Calgary. Having heard great reviews about the first Calgary location in Deerfoot Meadows, I was excited to see what the Italian restaurant had in store.

Inspired by Italian street food, Via Cibo is a chef-driven fast food restaurant, meaning high quality food but fast casual service. You order and pay at the counter but your made to order food is brought to you. From salads and sandwiches to pasta and pizza, there is something for everyone.

The Tuscan Fries sounded very tempting and I just couldn’t resist. With rosemary sea salt, truffle oil and shaved grana padano cheese, they were decadent and perfect for sharing.

For the main, I tried the Pasta Al Ragu Di Ossobuco. The penne was served with a braised veal ragu and cheese and a side of garlic bread. Comfort food at it’s best!

If you’re looking for a sweet ending, Via Cibo has an assortment of gelato. The Nutella with the coconut sorbet was the perfect combination.

I definitely will be coming back to Via Cibo to try their other offerings.

rainbow cake for st. paddy’s day

March 17, 2016 By Fareen Leave a Comment

Looking for a fun thing to do with the kids for St. Patrick’s Day? This rainbow cake is the perfect activity to get the kids in the kitchen and get a little creative.

Start with your favourite cake and ice it with green icing. Next, make a rainbow using fruit by the roll. We used a pipe cleaner to help keep the rainbow standing. Gold chocolate coins at the end of the arch complete the look.

Happy St. Paddy’s Day!

nutella pie for pi(e) day

March 14, 2016 By Fareen 3 Comments

If you really need an excuse to eat pie, well, here’s a great one for you! Today is Pi(e) Day!

I wanted to make a pie for Pi Day but wanted to try something new. I had an idea I wanted to test and this was the perfect day to do it. Remember the Nutella Pot De Cremes I had made for Valentine’s Day? I really did love the mousse-like texture and thought it would be perfect in a pie. Using a frozen, ready-made pie crust, I baked it and let it cool. Meanwhile, I made the pot de creme mixture and, once the shell was cooled, poured it into the crust and let it set. It didn’t take too long, only a couple of hours. Add some whip, grate some chocolate and you have the perfect celebratory dish for the day.

Looking for more inspiration? Click here to see more pies. Happy Pi Day everyone!

Nutella Pie

1 prepared pie shell

1 cup chocolate chips
1/4 cup Nutella
2 egg yolks
1 1/2 cup whipping cream

1 cup whipping cream
1 TB icing sugar

Bake the pie shell as per directions and let cool.
In a blender, combine the chocolate chips, Nutella and egg yolks and blend together. Meanwhile, heat up the whipping cream until bubbles start to form but not boiling. Add the whipping cream slowly through the lid of the blender while blending on low. Once combined, pour the mixture into the cooled crust. Let set for 2 to 3 hours.
Blend the cream and the sugar until whipped. Top the pie with the whipped cream and shaved chocolate if you wish.

modern steak

March 14, 2016 By Fareen Leave a Comment

Modern Steak has been on my list of places to go for a really long time. Everyone had raved about the food and I couldn’t wait to check it out for myself. I finally had a chance to go yesterday to celebrate an early birthday with friends. Since The Big Taste was going on, we decided to do that menu. It was amazing!

We started out with the best server who was very attentive all through dinner. Our meal began with truffle popcorn which was a fantastic treat. I love truffle oil and paired with popcorn, well, it was delish.

The first course was the Prawn Bong – grilled spicy prawns served with a cooling mint creme fraiche. The prawns were cooked to perfection and paired well with the creme fraiche. It took a lot of will power for me to not drink the minty sauce.

Our second course was the Brant Lake Wagyu. The petite tender steak was sliced and served with chimichurri on top of mashed potatoes and garlicky green beans and topped with crispy fried onions. The steak was cooked to medium rare and was so tender and flavourful. The potatoes were creamy and the beans were crisp – it was a delicious main course.

The meal was rounded out with a bowl of gelato. Great food and great friends – it was the perfect evening.

If you haven’t been to Modern Steak, it is definitely worth checking out. Owned by Stephen Deere, the restaurant has been rated the top steak place in Calgary, and now I know why. I can’t wait to go back soon!

sky 360 and the big taste calgary

March 11, 2016 By Fareen Leave a Comment

It’s time for The Big Taste in Calgary – every foodie’s favourite week! Hubby and I checked out Sky 360 for lunch last weekend and it was great. It had been years since I’ve been to the Calgary Tower and this was a nice treat. As we lunched on our 3 course, $25 menu, the floor of the restaurant rotated and we got an amazing view of our city.

The first course for The Big Taste was either a soup or a salad. We both went with the Greens Salad which contained carrot chips, cucumbers, shave radish and topped with a pomegranate and pink peppercorn vinaigrette.

For the second course, I went with the Grilled Blackened Chicken sandwich which was served on fresh focaccia. The bread was so good and the chicken had a nice kick to it. The fries that were served on the side were cooked to perfection. Hubby went with the burger which was also very good.

We ended our meal with a cream cheese gelato served with strawberries.

After the meal, we were able to enjoy the tower from the observation deck. The glass floor was kind of scary – I had to not look down in order to take this picture.

It was a great meal, definitely worth a visit. Considering a trip to the top is $18, the lunch during The Big Taste is a great deal!

macadamia nut shortbread

March 5, 2016 By Fareen 2 Comments

If there’s one thing that all four of us like to snack on, it would have to be nuts. We are nuts about nuts. We aren’t that picky about which ones – almonds, peanuts, pecans….any will do!

Naturally, when we were in Hawaii last week, we indulged in lots of macadamia nuts and of course, brought some home. We loved the little cookie shops filled with macadamia shortbread so it was on my list of things to make.

These cookies are buttery and nutty and made extra special with the ends dipped in chocolate. Perfect to nibble on while dreaming about palm trees and sandy beaches.

Macadamia Nut Shortbread

1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup icing sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
1 cup macadamia nuts, chopped

In a mixer, whip the butter. Add the sugar and vanilla until incorporated. Add the flour and nuts until the dough comes together. Place the dough in saran wrap, forming into a disk. Refrigerate until firm.

Roll out the dough and cut into rectangles (or whatever shape you want). Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.

sumac roasted cauliflower

March 2, 2016 By Fareen 1 Comment

We had leftover kebabs for dinner the other night and I needed a vegetable side to go along with it. I had this idea of combining sumac with the cauliflower and thought it would be a great accompaniment to our dinner.

Sumac is a middle eastern spice which I really should use more often. It has a bit of a tart lemony flavour, perfect for livening up vegetables or even meat. I combined the sumac with some complementary flavours of coriander and garlic and tossed it with the cauliflower florets. These were then roasted until the cauliflower was carmelized – yum!

My only regret when I made this was I only did half the cauliflower. I didn’t realize how big of a hit this was going to be. Hubby loved it, but even more surprising, Q loved it. He couldn’t get enough and requested I make the other half right away!

Sumac Roasted Cauliflower

1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
3 TB olive oil
2 TB sumac
1 TB garlic powder
1 TB coriander powder
salt
pepper

Combine the oil and the spices and toss with the cauliflower florets. Place on a baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes or until cauliflower is soft.

al’s grill at amato gelato (chestermere)

February 29, 2016 By Fareen Leave a Comment

As great as it was to escape to paradise, it was nice to come home on the weekend. Sure we came back to a little cold and snow but there’s no place like home.

Since we hardly slept on the way home, we were exhausted and all of us had a nice long nap. We were starving when we woke up but had no desire to cook. Amato Gelato to the rescue!

Amato Gelato in Chestermere has opened a side business in their gelato shop, Al’s Grill. Al’s Grill features East African specialties like fried cassava, pili pili fries and chicken poussin.

We ordered the mishkaki chicken combo which came with 3 skewers of marinated chicken, salad, fries and naan. It was delicious! The chicken was flavourful and moist and I loved the skinny fries that it came with. The best part was that Z, who had refused to eat anything for a few meals, loved the chicken and devoured a couple of sticks of chicken. Made this mamma very happy!

We also had the fried cassava which was cooked to perfection. It was crispy on the outside, soft on the inside and perfect with the tamarind chutney that it came with.

We can’t wait to go back and enjoy some more of their delicious food. Next time, we will have to leave room for dessert! We are definitely lucky to have this gem in Chestermere. With great service and friendly owners, it’s definitely a business that deserves support.