Pomegranate Margaritas

Other than an impromptu night in the village sharing a mic with a drag queen singing show tunes, my weekend was relatively chill. Saturday was the warmest day we’ve had all season and we needed it. I hate talking about the weather though. For one, I’m terrible at small talk. Someone could be talking about how excited they are that Target is coming to Toronto and I could reply with how tripping on Ayahuasca in Peru might bring me closer to understanding my existence.

Another reason why I don’t like talking about the weather is because I truly don’t give a shit. It’s snowing – so what. We live in Canada, it snows, it rains and sometimes it gets super hot and guess what? People will complain about that too. But I will admit this has been a very long, depressing spring so I took advantage of the sun and made celebratory Pomegranate Margaritas which while tanning with a great friend was nothing short of perfection.

Serves 2

• 4 ounces of POM juice
• 3 ounces of Tequila (white)
• 2 ounces of Triple Sec
• 3 ounces of Simple Syrup
• 4 ounces of lime juice
• 5 cups of ice

Blend.

The Best Reuben Sandwich

I’ve mentioned before I consider myself quite the Reuben enthusiast, not the classiest of obsessions but definitely suitable. I’m surprised how little I’ve written about the almighty Reuben, but like most enthusiasts, I rarely find a notable Reuben that has met my aggressive standards. So naturally, I was surprised to find the best Reuben I’ve ever had in my own hometown, Wallaceburg Ontario.

Although we moved to an entirely different area when I was 8 years old, my mother, step-father and I frequently travelled back to visit my Grandparents and I, my father who has always resided in this area. My best memories live here, which is a kind of nostalgia that never escaped me; idealizing this place I will forever call home. Luckily, my mother and step-father recently moved back so my visits are more common and I can finally appreciate in (my hesitating) adulthood the local cuisine. There isn’t a fancy restaurant to be seen, but that’s part of its charm. Everyone can cook and summer is abundant with local ingredients so cuisine might seem too posh a word for a place that’s characterized by its coveted simplicity.

Chez Denise Bistro & Café, is where I discovered this epic Reuben. It’s messy as hell and difficult to hold – exactly how I like it. But the surprising element is the homemade spinach dip they generously slather on huge portions of corned beef, sauerkraut and Swiss cheese. It’s greasy, it’s juicy – it makes you feel brazenly guilty for wanting another.

Chez Denise Bistro & Café, 153 Nelson, Wallaceburg, Ontario. 

Roasted Garlic, White Bean Dip

I finally used the Cuisinart Smart Stick my mum gave me for Christmas – it’s amazing. I haven’t been inspired to cook in quite some time. In fact, I haven’t had much motivation to do anything at all the past few months. February, is that special time of year when I’m so lethargic from Seasonal Affective Disorder, I convince myself I’m spiralling into another bout of self-inflicted depression. But once I realize I’m likely suffering from SAD and Spring is around the corner, inspiration begins to resurface from that mystical place where it comes from.

• 1 Whole Garlic Head
• 1 LRG Can White Beans
• Juice of 1 ½ Lemons
• 1 TSP Cumin
• 3 TBSP Olive Oil
• Salt to Taste

Roast Garlic by placing the head in a muffin tin, coat well with olive oil, tightly cover with tinfoil and cook for 35 minutes at 400 ° Combine all ingredients in a food processor and blend.

Potato Leek Soup With Dill

I don’t have a picture of the final product but I do have to say, this soup was kickass. I didn’t think it would hold as much flavour as it did hence the “pinch” of Italian seasoning – I often worry my recipes will be bland so it’s natural for me to go overboard with spices and potentially ruin anything. If you choose to try this, make sure you have extra broth on hand, I had to add more liquid before I blended this, it was super thick.

• 3 Leeks
• 1 Carrot
• 3 Celery Stalks
• 6 Potatoes (Yukon) 
• 5 Cups of Vegetable Broth
• Olive Oil 
• 1 TBSP Butter (optional) 
• 2 Cloves of Garlic
• Pinch of Italian Seasoning 
• Fresh Dill
• S&P

In a large sauce pot, sauté leeks, carrot, celery, garlic, Italian seasoning and olive oil for 10 minutes. Add chopped potatoes, fresh dill, broth and simmer for 25 minutes. Blend and add more liquid if necessary. I used my new hand blender that I can’t shut up about.

New Orleans, Getting There

This Pretty Much Sums up my Trip to New Orleans

I have no idea where to start! I suppose since this is a food blog I should just stick to food but in all honesty, I didn’t eat that much in New Orleans. Granted, we were only there for 3.5 days and since we hit the tail end of Mardi Gras, we mostly drank. Peach Sangria Daiquiris and brown bagged tall cans were my staple. Being from Toronto, it was so liberating to put a fat ass can of beer in a fitted brown bag then drink it wherever I wanted. In and out of bars, hotels, down the street – wherever.

On Monday, our flight was delayed an hour and our new plane was TINY, making the flight longer. But we had booze, so we were entertained – mostly by turbulence/screams and the drunk people behind us pissing off the old people who were constantly shooting them stink eye.

When we arrived in NOLA, we waited over an hour for my luggage which apparently was still in Toronto but arriving the next day. At this point we were parched so we hopped in a cab to our hotel but were dropped off four blocks away because there was a huge parade so we couldn’t cross the street. Really, it could have been worse. So we grabbed some beer and caught some beads – Happy Mardi Gras!

After a while we were pretty exhausted so we asked a police officer to let us through and he kindly did. Well actually a super drunk/cracked out lady helped us get through by yelling at said police officer. After we checked in it was pretty late so we roamed around our neighbourhood (Warehouse District) for a bit and grabbed some red beans and rice then hit the sack to get some rest for Fat Tuesday.

New Orleans, Mardi Gras Fat Tuesday

We woke up early and headed to St. Charles Street, where the parade started at 10AM. We stopped for a big breakfast which was nothing special, but it was a wonderfully bizarre beginning to what would be one of the most visually stimulating days of my life. While sipping coffee by the window we watched hoards of people walk by in costumes that rarely ever made sense. At first the street was quiet; a few grungy fairies glided by on their pink, vintage bikes. A group of foxes in top hats and trench coats crossed the street while a man with Q-Tips pinned all over his onesie rollerbladed by. Then the Southern Belles came out, escorted by their Gentlemen walking beside a group of fat, bearded men dressed in drag and pink bob cut wigs. The crowd grew larger by the minute, adorned in feather boas, sparkled tutus, painted faces and beads – lots and lots of beads.

We followed the crowd to Canal Street where we grabbed a Hurricane on the street. It was strong, I’m not sure I liked it – obviously.

The crowd was building but the parade had not begun so we crossed the street and walked to the French Quarter. These assholes below were everywhere. The only entertaining part about them being there was that NO ONE paid any attention to them. It was pretty intense for me to witness because I’ve never experienced this type of “preaching” before and it was horrible and hateful.

Then all this shit happened

After spending the morning in the Quarter and early afternoon in a pub we checked out the parade. This is my favourite pic of the day, it completely depicts the atmosphere of the parade. We had such a blast. But I have to admit at this point, I wanted new clothes as my luggage still had not arrived! I had no makeup and no change of clothes which explains the psycho scarf wrapped around my head and frizzy fro.

We didn’t get many beads at this parade because we were so far back but be warned: these beads hurt! I had bruises all over my arms from people whipping them at me. Some of them are really heavy and one hit a lady in the head and made her bleed. I started freaking out and tried to help her but had to leave because they thought I was super weird.

After the parade we stumbled back to the hotel to see if my luggage arrived (which it hadn’t) rest and grab a bite to eat. I wanted to go to Mother’s but there was a huge line up (everyday) and we were too hungry to wait so we went to Mulate’s. I had the Zydeco Gumbo with okra, and Jamie had Jambalaya. The food was excellent but the service was awful. At first I thought most service we received in NOLA was too slow, but after a while I realized that’s the culture – it is the Big Easy. I’m from Toronto, we like shit fast or NOW, it’s actually a bit obnoxious. Still, the service at Mulate’s was straight up awful and the menu was overpriced for the atmosphere.

Floor Beads! We went back to The French Quarter and there were so many beads on the ground we were almost gliding across the street on them/tripping all over the place. People from the balconies were throwing us beads all night and we drank – a lot.

New Orleans, Post Mardi Gras

The day after Fat Tuesday, was a bit rough but we managed to get up relatively early and explore NOLA, post Mardi Gras. Oh, and my luggage arrived! I cried. We tried going to Mother’s again but there was a line up which would have been fine if we weren’t starving. So we hopped in a cab to The French Quarter hoping it wasn’t as dead as The Warehouse District – everything was closed. Acme, was on our list of restaurants to try but they had a line up too. I pride myself in the extensive research I did prior to our trip but I picked too many popular places to eat and we were always too hungry to wait in line. We crossed the street and entered Felix’s, a diner established in the early 1900′s that feels like a place where the locals eat. I loved everything about this place: the oysters, fried crawfish tails, the reasonable prices and the friendly service.

Next stop was Carousel Bar & Lounge, located in Hotel Monteleone. We were too hungover to sit at the rotating bar but the view of Royal Street was just as entertaining, I also had the best Bloody Mary of my life. It was such a dreary, raining day but I bought a rain poncho and we marched on to St. Louis Cemetery No. 1. The cemetery is small, so if you’re cheap there are multiple tours happening, just nonchalantly follow them like we did.

Crawfish at Montrel’s. I don’t want to talk about this horrible experience. Ever.

The next day we took the St. Charles street car to The Garden District. The sun finally came out so we went searching for a patio, naturally. I think our day spent in The Garden District was the highlight of the trip. Firstly, the St. Charles street car is so old and slow, we could have walked faster. Local joggers kept passing us, it was hilarious. We found a pub on Magazine Street, called The Bulldog. The picture above is of a massive tap fountain we sat in front of. If you flip a coin for a wish they donate the proceeds to local charities. Our bartender was a doll and let us try samples of the enormous beer selection. We favoured the HOPS flavour of Abita, Spring IPA. And pints were only $4.50.

Before heading to Lafayette Cemetery, we sat outside of Coquette for a small bite to eat. Although, this is something we can get in Toronto (maple syrup and all)  we were still pleasantly surprised how delicate and rich the Butternut Squash Cavatelli was. The Old Fashioned Donut with huckleberries, oatmeal crunch and sour cream ice cream was a tiny little piece of perfection – even for two people who do not have a sweet tooth. The sun was setting on Magazine Street so we  jumped back on the St. Charles street car for a leisurely ride home.

Spending our last night in the French Quarter, we started at  The Roosevelt Hotel  for a famous local drink called a Sazerac, then I blacked out. Joking! But this was the strongest drink I’ve ever had and after we drank one, shit got real. We went everywhere! From bar to bar we heard all kinds of live music, met some friends/crack heads, watched an amateur male stripping show at a bar called Oz, danced at a rock bar, a country bar, a hip hop bar and somehow got home safe and sound.

On Friday, we had a few hours to kill before our flight home so we went to The French Market in search of the famous sandwich called a Muffuletta. Look at this monster! It has layers of meats and cheese then topped with an olive and pickled vegetable salsa. This is the best thing I’ve ever put in my mouth – the perfect end to an amazing trip! I really enjoyed New Orleans, and I’m looking forward to visiting again. But next time perhaps I’ll drink less booze and eat more food. But I doubt it.

THE END, LOVE YOU NOLA!

30 Days – No Meat No Cheese

I’m going to try to write about my experience during my 30 day – No Meat, No Cheese trial without sounding like a douche. Let me begin by saying that I always fail within a few days when denying myself anything, especially if it’s bad for me. Also, I was persuaded around 2004, to believe that carbs were the reason why I had been struggling with my weight since 2001, so began my 8 year lifestyle consuming mainly meat and cheese – and gaining over 60 pounds. So naturally, I thought giving up meat and cheese for 30 days was going to be challenging but surprisingly, it wasn’t.

There are several reasons why I chose to participate in this elimination diet. Primarily, I’ve lived with food sensitivities since childhood and I started wondering why. Why am I getting hives almost every time I eat? What is my body trying to tell me about the food I’m consuming?  I also want to add that this year I noticed my eyes were starting to yellow; they just didn’t have that glow they used to. My skin started to get really dry and dull. I had white bumps all over my face and red patches would come and go. I didn’t read too much into it – I just thought since I’m turning 33, these must be signs of ageing.

At first when giving up meat and most dairy, I noticed I felt lighter and less bloated but after only two weeks I started noticing some major changes in my body. My eyes were brighter. My teeth were becoming whiter and I’ve been struggling with my yellowing teeth for two years – using whitening products that were not effective. My nails now grow at impossible speed, they are also very strong – I’ve always had very frail nails and people told me I needed more calcium to strengthen them. My skin cleared up and now actually glows. My hair is abnormally shiny as well. I haven’t had a hive in 30 days and I poop like Dr. Oz. I’ve also noticed that I’m never really hungry and when my body wants food, my stomach lightly gurgles without hunger pains, like a cute flutter opposed to a gut-wrenching growl embarrassing me in meetings.

I believe the majority of these health benefits are directly related to omitting dairy from my diet, which pushed me further  - I used to eat a block of solid cheese per week, I LOVE CHEESE. What helped me give up meat was all the research I did and still do. I was aware of factory farming and animal cruelty but I didn’t realize how  ignorant I was to the bigger picture. I never thought my choice to not eat meat would turn ethical, but knowing what I know now, it’s really hard for me to think about eating meat again – even though I crave it everyday. I won’t share my new beliefs as they are my own and I realize this is a highly controversial subject. But, I will say the number one factual reason why I don’t want to eat meat is because most of it is diseased, for the purpose of mass production. Even in Canada, we are purchasing diseased meat without knowing it, and it’s not just beef. Recently, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, has for the first time, declared that a large amount of salmon  infected with a flu-like virus is safe for human consumption. They claim there is no evidence the virus is harmful to humans. If supermarkets choose to sell this salmon are they going to add a label that reads, Warning: this fish has a virus! I doubt it. And if they did, would you buy it?

Now that my 30 day trail is over I’m wondering how to continue my lifestyle. I just thought I would lose a few pounds but I’m honestly shocked by the health benefits I’ve experienced and overwhelmed with this new moral objection to eating meat. I’m going to New Orleans on Monday (!!!!!!) and have an enormous food itinerary, so I guess I’ll see what happens next. In retrospect, I’ve always treated my body like John Mayer would treat it, but I’ve never experienced chronic pain so I don’t really know the difference between feeling good versus feeling bad – unless I’m hungover. So I guess what I’ve learned through this small journey is – I don’t have to feel bad to fix it.

Douche Notes***Some popular documentaries are Food Inc. and Forks Over Knives which are both equally disturbing but a really interesting film I watched was Farmageddon – an insight into the difficulties of organic farming. If you wonder why organic foods are so expensive, this will answer your question and it might shock you. Or you might not give a shit, and that’s your right. Namaste, bitches!

Miso Dressing for Anything

I made so much fun of my father last summer when he took vegetarianism quite literal and served Tracy an enormous bowl of raw veggies and spinach dip after I informed him she doesn’t eat meat. But lately, I can relate to him. Eliminating meat and cheese from my diet has been more challenging than I thought. The overwhelming part is the endless research. I could just buy a bunch of veggie burgers and be done with it but because I’m a weirdo and get hives from packaged food, I’m trying to eat as clean as possible. I thought I knew a lot about food in general but this shit is a whole new world – I spent hours yesterday reading about nutritional yeast which spiralled me into a brief but constructive existential crisis.

I have the tendency, when inspired, to engulf myself in endless recipes then fail to decide what to actually cook for dinner – I want to try everything. So I’ve started simple by making quinoa bowls (cook it like rice, blam!) with lots of vegetables. For added flavour instead of soy sauce, I made Miso Dressing adapted from Jules Clancy. She cooks clean and her recipes are amazing. I revised the portion because I cook for one but it served two meals.

Eat Salad or Die

I had to edit this post. I got a lot of slack from friends for being too self-deprecating – even though that’s always been the foundation of my humour. Also, I’ve really been thinking and talking to some people about the “diet” I’ve adopted over the years. Maybe my weight gain isn’t solely contributed to my lack of discipline; perhaps I have been too hard on myself. Boo.

The Story Goes:

I’ve never had an issue finding inspiration to do mostly anything, besides camping, my issue is finding the motivation to keep doing things, especially if they are good for me. I have my theories as to why but since 2012 has passed (Thank God) I’ve developed a new lease on life. That and Miss. Motivation came looking for me the other day. Turns out she is one funny/homicidal broad – I like that. I was walking to the food court for a salad and I started to convince myself that if I substituted noodles with more veg I could get my favourite pork and wonton soup for lunch when a hard hat dropped 20 stories from a building and landed at my feet.

 OK, I get it – eat salad or die! So in light of recent events I’ve compiled a list of lifestyle rules that I’ve loosely been following for the past few years and hopefully I can now stick to them because I’m pretty sure my neighbours hear me scream cry myself out of bed every morning (hey, it’s been a weird couple of years) and if I die from construction equipment falling from the sky, I’ll be pissed.

I did publish that list but the more I read it, the more I wondered – is this lifestyle working? The answer is, no. I’ve been on a low carb, high protein diet including lots of meat and way too much dairy, specifically cheese for at least 8 years. So out of curiosity, over the next 30 days I’m going to reverse this diet. I’m eliminating meat and cheese but allowing myself fish and eggs. I already drink lots of water, eat fruit and vegetables. I haven’t been eating red meat because my body hates it and because of unidentified food allergies, I avoid food from boxes and cans unless I can read the ingredients, so I don’t think this will be too hard.

This is the terrifying part: I will introduce more carbs into my diet. If you have read my blog then you know that carbs and I haven’t had the healthiest relationship in the past. I’m pretty excited to not feel suicidal when I consume carbs so I’ll try to be smart about it – I’m not going to scarf down veggie subs on the regular. This part is going to be the hardest; my love/hate relationship with carbs is extremely psychological. Suck it, Dr. Atkins!