Search Results for: cheese

coconut cake with a red velvet surprise for mom’s birthday

November 26, 2012 By Fareen Leave a Comment

Today is my mom’s birthday! We celebrated with family time, good food and of course, cake.

For her special day, I decided to do a twist on one of our favourite cakes – coconut. I had made some red velvet cake pops the day before for a birthday and decided to incorporate the two. Since the cake balls that I make are made of just cake (no icing), I placed the cake balls in between the coconut batter before baking.

I was a little worried about the red velvet balls over baking but the resulting cake turned out perfect. The coconut cake was moist and the red velvet was a nice surprise. Topped with a coconut cream cheese frosting and shreds of toasted coconut, it was the perfect way to celebrate my fabulous mom.

model milk

November 17, 2012 By Fareen 1 Comment

I had been wanting to check out Model Milk for quite some time and a
friends birthday seemed the perfect occasion. We ventured out in the
snow and found the place on 17th avenue quite easily with the big white cow
head above its doors. It’s a good thing we made reservations because
the place was packed!

With service being a huge deal for me, I was thrilled with the awesome
service we got from Andrew. He took the time to explain things and make
recommendations.

We started with the cheese and chive fries which were perfect for
munching on while we waited for the main course. The manchego cheese
that topped the crispy fries added just enough saltiness.

For our main course, we had the Maple Hill fried chicken and waffles. We
saw a few tables enjoying it as we walked in and we just had to try it
for ourselves. The large format item for two was perfect for the three of us
to share. With six pieces of chicken, it was easily dividable and was so
filling. The chicken, cooked sous-vide style, was perfect. The outside
was light and crispy, the inside was tender and juicy. The rosemary
waffles paired well with the syrup covered chicken and the large plate of
greens balanced out the meal.

Although we were stuffed, we had to try the dessert. We ordered the
peanut butter ice cream sandwich. The ice cream was creamy and the
praline topping was the perfect crunch. So good!

All in all, it was a great evening. I look forward to going back!

la boulangerie

September 23, 2012 By Fareen 1 Comment

When I think back to my trips to Europe, especially France, my most favourite part are the bakeries with their fresh breads and croissants and crepes. I’m so happy to have discovered a little piece of Europe right here in Calgary at La Boulangerie. I had passed by a few times but I finally made it there last weekend…and again this weekend. I think it’s my new favourite place!

Both times that we went to the bakery, it was busy! It didn’t take long though to have our orders and bellies filled. Our order was being filled and delivered by the owner himself, Navot, who was trained at the Cordon Bleu in France. La Boulangerie aka La Creperie has another location at the Kingsland Farmer’s Market.

La Boulangerie is a small place and is filled with the most amazing baked goods and crepes. The smells are amazing! Last weekend, we tried the smoked salmon crepe which was light and filling. We also had to have the nutella and banana crepe which can fulfill anyone’s need for chocolate. I’m sure they used half a bottle of nutella in there – yum! Q had the chocolate croissant which he devoured.

This weekend, we met hubby’s boss and family for breakfast back at the bakery. We had the smoked salmon crepe again because it was just too delicious not to. This time, we also tried the brie with roasted peppers which was really amazing too. The cheese made the crepe really filling and the red peppers added a nice sweetness.

We also tried a couple of croissants between all of us, the almond and the pistachio. I think these may have even been better than the chocolate! These were very rich but very tasty.

I am looking forward to taking my dad who loves bakeries as much as I do. Any excuse to go back!

*Collages made with the Diptic app.

calypso taverna

September 9, 2012 By Fareen 1 Comment

We had a great evening tonight celebrating a few birthdays at Calypso Taverna. Our friend had celebrated an anniversary there before and loved it, so we were excited to try something new.

From the outside, the restaurant is nothing special. It’s probably a place that I would not notice and would just drive by. The inside though is warm and cozy and a great place for a celebration. The place was also packed so we knew it was going to be good. There was a belly dancer for a short time providing entertainment, especially when she got some of our table dancing with her.

Our friends had ordered the trio of dips with pita for the table. The dips included the Tzatziki, Hummus and the Tirokafteri. I think I loved the third one the best. It was a mixture of salty feta cheese and hot peppers. It was great served with the warm pita.

Hubby and I weren’t too hungry so we decided to share an appetizer and an entree. For the appetizer, we decided on the stuffed calamari. This was a whole calamari stuffed with lean ground chicken and pine nuts. It was served in a buttery cayenne champage sauce. Although not the prettiest dish, it was delicious. The combination of the squid with the seasoned chicken was really tasty.

For our main, we shared the Paidakia – lamb chops!

Our medium grilled lamb was cooked perfectly and the seasoned chops were the perfect greek dish. It didn’t have that strong lamb smell that sometimes turns hubby off, always a good thing. This was served with rice, potatoes and a greek salad.

Everyone’s dishes looked great, from the chicken souvlaki, the moussaka and the special of the day, the halibut.

We all shared 3 different desserts which were all delicious. The baklava was nutty and sweet, and the bougatsa was great with a warm apple filling inside some phyllo. My favourite though was a custard with a meringue topping. So good!

You can pay a little bit more and get the full plate throwing experience. It was so fun (and a great stress reliever) just tossing a plate – OPA! It was a great night and I look forward to going there again.

mascarpone stuffed zucchini blossoms

August 13, 2012 By Fareen Leave a Comment

I had been wanting to make stuffed zucchini blossoms for a while but it has been so hard to find the delicate flowers. The kind folks at Michelle’s Market were happy to help and picked some for me. Check them out, they are awesome!

Most recipes for the stuffed flowers called for ricotta but when I saw Trestelle‘s Mascarpone* on the shelf, I had to grab it. I had looked for mascarpone months back and couldn’t find it so I was not going to miss this opportunity.

The cheese mixture for this was so creamy and so flavourful, it’s a wonder that any made it into the flowers. The mascarpone was rich and light all at the same time, and is fast becoming one of my favourite cheeses. (In fact, I can’t wait to try this vanilla mascarpone cream from Julie!)

The flowers were really delicate. They needed to be carefully opened so the pistils could be taken out. After being washed and dried, I piped in the cheese mixture with a ziploc bag. As the flowers came out of oil, I sprinkled them with some fleur de sel.

I served these with some warm pasta sauce. Hubby was surprised by how much flavour was in the petals. The cheese completely complemented the flowers. These are a definite must-try if you can find some of these beautiful blossoms.

Mascarpone Filled Zucchini Blossoms
Inspired by recipes from Anna Olson and Chuck Hughes, Food Network

8 zucchini blossoms

Cheese mixture:
1/2 cup mascarpone
2 TB grated parmesan
zest half lemon
1/2 TB garlic, minced
1 TB fresh basil
1/4 cup cream

Batter:
1 cup flour
1 egg
1 cup club soda

Mix together everything for the cheese mixture. Place in a ziploc bag for piping.
While the oil is heating for frying, mix together the ingredients for the batter. Dip the filled flowers in the batter and fry until golden brown. Salt the fried blossoms and serve with pasta sauce.

*I did receive vouchers from Trestelle to try out their cheese. Opinions are my own.

gravity espresso and wine bar

June 22, 2012 By Fareen 1 Comment

With most of my cousins in town last week following my sister’s wedding in Vancouver, we decided to do a quick get together, sans kids.

Someone suggested Gravity Espresso and Wine Bar and after hearing all the great things on twitter and food blogs, I was happy to go check it out.

Located in Inglewood, this is a cute little place. We went on a Thursday and found it quiet, perfect for the eleven of us to be a little rowdy. The art on the wall was great, and inspired conversation.

Not really in the mood for coffee, I tried out the hot chocolate, made with chocolate from Papa Chocolat. It was a good hot chocolate, not too sweet and decorated beautifully.

The best part of the night was the flourless chocolate cake. Decadent, rich and so satisfying, I would go back just for that!

Other desserts that they had were the carrot cake and cheesecake in jars. I was really hoping to try the coconut cake but they didn’t have any that day.

I loved that the owner, Andy, came over to make sure we were doing okay. That personal touch is always appreciated. His attention to detail in creating ambiance for the restaurant was noted when the quiet place that we had walked into filled with music after he arrived.

That chocolate cake? I think it will be calling me back!

burfi for my sister’s wedding

June 15, 2012 By Fareen 4 Comments

It was so busy and crazy last week as we spent some time in Vancouver for my sister’s wedding. It was kind of a reunion of sorts, people flying in from Calgary, Toronto, Austin, Dubai…. We also spent time with our Vancouver family and I got to meet nieces and nephews I hadn’t met before. It was nice getting to know our lovely new family as well, my sister’s husband’s. I still can’t believe she’s married!

You cannot have an indian wedding without sweets, and boy, did we have a lot! Everyone contributed in making something. From carrot cake to nan khatai, we had something to please every palate.

My contribution was burfi. Burfi is a sweet confection made from milk and sugar, reminiscent of fudge. Hubby’s aunt made a really tasty batch last year for my sister-in-laws wedding and she was happy to show me how to make it. Thank you N!

To my sister and her husband, my wish for you is loads of love and
happiness! I’m so happy you found each other. Love you lots!

Burfi

500 grams milk powder
1 1/2 cups of sugar
1 cup water
1/2 pound of unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/2 can of evaporated milk
red food colouring
nuts, optional

Combine the sugar with 1 cup of water and allow it to boil for about half an hour, until it gets to the soft ball stage.

Remove the pot from the stove and add the butter, mixing until it has melted. Add the milk powder and mix well. Add 1/2 can of evaporated milk. The mixture should be like a thick batter.

In a 9″ x 13″ parchment-line pan, pour in half the mixture and push it to the corners so that it covers the entire dish. Add a few drops of food colouring to the other half until you have a nice pink hue. Pour this pink mixture onto the white layer. At this point, you can sprinkle some nuts.

Refrigerate for one day before you cut it into pieces. Do not cover while refrigerated to ensure that the burfi dries well. Makes 40 to 50 pieces depending on the size.

famoso pizza – mckenzie towne

June 6, 2012 By Fareen 4 Comments

One of our favourite pizza places is Famoso Pizzeria. We frequent the location in Mission often so I was really excited to check out their newest location in McKenzie Towne. Hubby, Q and I checked out the place before their launch on May 31st. Upon being seated, appetizers of Roasted Kalamata Olives were brought to the table. I’m not a fan of olives but hubby really enjoyed these. The olives were topped with feta cheese and a spicy olive oil.

So that we could try out a few different pizzas, we ordered pizzettas, which were half the size of their regular 11″ pizzas. We knew that Q would love the San Andreas since it was topped with avocados and we were right! The pizza was topped with chili-lime chicken, tomatoes, onions and those creamy avocados. The drizzle of sour cream was the perfect touch.

Hubby’s favourite was the Sweet BBQ Chicken, one we had tried previously. The pizza was topped with tomatoes and red onions and had a really nice sweet and tangy bbq sauce.

My new favourite pizza at Famoso’s is the Smoked Salmon. This, along with the San Andreas is part of their Spring / Summer feature. It’s the perfect summer dish with the fresh tasting salmon and the dill sauce.

The meal was amazing and just when we thought it couldn’t get any better, we had dessert. We were all blown away by the Dolce and Banana. The bananas were oven roasted and topped with caramel sauce, gelato and pecans. Hubby doesn’t have much of a sweet tooth but he loved this dish and we polished it off. Q loved his Fiasco Gelato, so much so that he didn’t want to share. We also tried the nutella pizza – nutella in fresh pizza dough, so good! We ended the meal with Affogato, a shot of espresso with a scoop of gelato. I really enjoyed the contrast of the hot coffee with the cold gelato.

With all of the great offerings, I am sure that their newest location will be a hit! Now if only I could get one closer to where I live…

mucho burrito

May 29, 2012 By Fareen 1 Comment

We’ve been wanting to go to Mucho Burrito for a while and this busy Monday was the perfect chance to grab some quick takeout. It was a long drive home having to smell all that Mexican yumminess.

The favourite of the night was definitely the nachos. We chose beef to top the nachos and the shredded marinated meat was packed with flavour. Q couldn’t get enough of the chips that were topped with the queso cheese, shredded cheese, the beef and salsa.

We also tried the chicken quesadillas. Stuffed inside a tortilla were sauteed peppers and onions and cheese. I was surprised by the bold flavours of the grilled chicken. Sometimes, the chicken can get lost in a quesadilla but this one really stood out.

We also had the soft fish tacos. We were given the option of a flour tortilla or a corn tortilla. I was really impressed with the fish which was a pan seared tilapia with a herb crust. The fish tasted fresh and the guacamole that we added to the taco was nice and creamy.

It’s always a good thing when Q just gobbles up his food. We were thrilled at how he devoured the nachos and the meat and veggies that were topping it. I can’t wait to go back for more!

cinnamon buns – happy mother’s day!

May 14, 2012 By Fareen 1 Comment

After discovering last month Q’s love of cinnamon rolls at the mall, I knew it was something I wanted to try at home. Q loves being in the kitchen and helping mamma so it was the perfect project for Mother’s Day. I searched for a recipe similar to Cinnabon and discovered this recipe from Joshua Kennon.

There was some resting time required but it was a really simple recipe. Q helped out with measuring ingredients, rolling out the dough and slathering on the butter.

This recipe made quite a few rolls – 12 large ones and then 12 mini ones from the scrap. It was so fun watching the rolls rise into each other.

The best part was the intoxicating smell as these rolls baked. The smells competed with the gorgeous lilies I received for Mother’s Day. Mmmmm….

While the buns were baking, I whipped up some of the cream cheese frosting I’ve used on muffins and it went great with the buns! You just can’t beat fresh out of the oven cinnamon buns.

It was an awesome day! Happy Mother’s Day to all the wonderful moms out there. Hope your day was as great as mine!

Cinnamon Buns
Adapted from Joshua Kennon

1 cup warm milk
2 eggs, room temperature
1/3 cup butter, melted
4 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup white sugar
2 1/4 tsp instant yeast

3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
2 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1/2 cup butter, softened

Microwave the milk for 45 to 60 seconds. Then, dissolve yeast in warm milk in a large bowl. Add sugar, butter, salt, eggs, and flour. Mix well. Allow the dough to come together with the dough hook of the mixer.

Put the ball of dough into a bowl that is sprayed with cooking spray. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for roughly 1 hour or until dough has doubled in size.

Once the dough has risen, roll it out into a 16 x 21″ rectangle. Spread the softened butter on the dough and then sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamon.

Roll up the dough starting with the longer side and cut into 12 cinnamon rolls (or more smaller rolls, if you prefer). To even out the rectangle, I cut off all the edges and the scraps made an additional 12 mini rolls.

Place the cinnamon rolls in a lightly greased rectangular pan. Let the rolls rise another 30 to 60 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degree. Once your cinnamon rolls have risen, bake them in the preheated oven until golden brown, approximately 18 to 20 minutes.

Eat warm as is or with some delicious cream cheese frosting.