Double smoked chocolate covered bacon

Enough with the bacon! It is too much for me - sometimes I do indulge and trust Whole Foods to offer up happy, healthy pigs and piglets. Just before St. Valentines Day 2012 I was wandering the food aisles in
Henderson, Nevada and came across this offering.

Double Smoked Chocolate Covered Bacon (and the list of ingredients is decent - all words that I can actually say)!

Bacon cookies, bacon beer, bacon chocolate - the list goes on and on.

I indulge rarely in bacon - for many reasons - smart, intelligent,  clean creatures for one reaon.
And then the whole Pickton trial in British Columbia, Canada got me squirmish. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Pickton
But I really want my chocolate to be just chocolate. 

Super easy Jazz, Carrot and Red Cabbage Juice

When you are not travelling it is sometimes hard to keep your energy levels up.
Especially if you have been sitting at a computer for hours on end.
Even with the sunshine streaming in.

So I dropped everything and went off to make myself a juice. By the way if you are reading this blog you are going to discover you need to be very interactive with it. For example if you click anywhere on this posting the rest of it will appear.

This is my week for trying to eat healthier (just got back from Cornucopia)

Super easy - as long as you have a juicer.
This is what I tossed in:

1 ENZA Jazz apple (sticker removed; used one of those apple sectioners to cut it up; kept peel on)
about 1 teaspoon ginger (organic already chopped from the Ginger People)
5 organic BC carrots (just scrubbed with ends chopped off)
1/4 head of red cabbage
a handful of parsley (next time I will skip that - just wasn't fresh enough so I barely got a teaspoon out of it)

Put it through the blender and minutes later a nutrient packed juice.
It will take longer to clean the juicer than it will for me to drink down this stuff.

Food Tasting and Cultural Walking Tour Chicago

In mid August I was in Chicago for a biz trip. I added an extra day and took the Chicago Food Planet Food Tour. Loved it. It wasn't a huge group, most were friendly (or not) and it was a pleasant way to explore Bucktown/Wicker Park.

It was my first walking tour - and it was accentuated with little food bites included a thin crusted pizza and a mini house brewed beer from www.piecechicago.com, a vegetarian snack from www.chicagofalalel.com - fresh and fabulous; a smoking ice-cream from www.icreamcafe.com; a delicious salad from Goddess & Grocer; the pictured house-made marshmallow and an iced chocolate drink (notice the lovely tush in the painting on Hot Chocolate's wall - makes me want to work out more).

The only thing I took one bite of was George's Hot Dogs (yuck - I don't eat hot dogs period but thought I should open my eyes - and then they mention how many hot dogs their supplier - in Chicago, more than 80% of the 1,800 plus hot dog vendors feature Vienna Beef products - all I could think about was the factory farm... well I won't go on - enough said). In all fairness there was a vegetarian option if I would have raised my hand at the beginning of the tour.

An almost hot breeze was with us for the several hours that we explored food spots and neighbourhoods. Kent was a very personable tour guide with Polish roots.

Locus on Main Street

This rather black spot on Main street hides some excellent well priced meals.

The grilled ahi tuna club came with tasty roasted potatoes, a tart picke, a tossed salad 

 

 

- great flavour and at a very 

reasonable $12.

Tasty full flavoured black beans, a grilled lime to add a kick of tartness - a great vegetarian tostada under $10

On a chilly Feb morning

 

Sometimes the best mouth-watering treat to enjoy is a lemon drizzled piece of cake - this one I picked at at the Vancouver Farmers Market thajavascript:void(0)t, luckily for me, has been taking place every Saturday from 10 to 2 PM in the Nat Bailey Stadium parking lot. Brave souls as they are there whether it is pouring rain or you are freezing your butt off.

Nico's evening mouthwash olives

Olives are a funny thing - I'm not sure when I started to actually like them. They are like many things in life that you start to appreciate as you get older. I sometimes still resort back to canned ones when I make olive paste but now I just hunt out all the wonderful varieties I find at the ethnic stores and farmer's markets. I still skip those offered out at Safeway and IGA since I have no idea of where they are coming from.

Stopped by the Vancouver Farmer's Market www.eatlocal.org and found my favourite olive stand - Dundarave Rave Olive Company My fav "Nico's Evening Mouthwash" - big plump olives hand-stuffed with blue cheese and caramelized onions.

I was meaning to enjoy them with some company but I don't think they are going to last more than 48 hours in the fridge. Right now they are next to my computer and I have enjoyed several as I write this post. $6.50 (with a $1.00 off on the weekend I was there since there was a Vancouver Farmer's Market special).

Eat Smarter - Eat Healthier

Every now and then I actually try to eat healthy when I'm on the road so I went to the local ACME http://www.acmemarkets.com/ and picked up some Bertolli pasta, Oikos Organic Yoghurt (they spell it like yogurt), shredded cheese, pretzels, and local mustard that was very good.

Looking at my receipt I noticed that I got charged for the Haagen Dazs that I purchased but then asked to have removed.

Darn it all I forgot to look (this is one of those silly mistakes that are entirely preventable - take a moment to see that you got what you paid for).

Not much I can do right now unless I want to call John Henry Jr, the Store director at (3020 738-9509) - maybe an email address would also be useful on the receipt. But good on them for at least giving me a way to reach them. But I'm back in Canada and what could he do? It would be my word against his word even if I have photo evidence (but the ice-cream may be been purposely excluded he might think - hmm, do I have a problem with trust).

Anyhow my knock down savings was a whole $1.48.
Total number of items purchased 9 (actually 8) and grand total was 9.
Good value were the nuts for $4.99; Manns broc stir fry set me back $2.50 and the lemon was 79 cents.

Pretty healthy.

Sushi Chew

I'm at the Vancouver airport - YVR - and I'm a little bored so I get food. Sushi sounds good. End up with a Bento Box - it is okay but as I eat the gyoza (spelling is off) I wonder if it has pork it in. I was hoping just for a vegetable one but the board didn't say one way or the other. The food was okay, it filled a spot but I would never order at that spot again - it was just too boring. And then look at the mess - a plastic tray, with a plastic lid, small containers for the sauces, I skipped the bag that they offered.

Worse yet the recyling options that they offer in the public food court area on the International side doesn't actually address the type of garbage that is generated at the YVR. Maybe someone should be thinking about that.

Freezer food in hotel room

So I'm in my hotel suite which happens to have a lovely kitchen complete with dishwasher, fridge, 2 burner stove and the basics in equipment. I stop by the closest grocery stores since I'm without a car - the next 30 minutes are spent wandering the aisles of ACME (isn't that a dreadbul sounding name for a grocery store). Anyhow I finally settle one something I would never buy back home - frozen entrees. In this case it was a Bertolli Pasta and Sauce - Mushroom Ravioli in a mushroom cream sauce, imported from Italy.

The main reason for buying it: I understood almost all the ingredients - egg white lysozyme was the only tricky one and there was no added colours or chemically sounding ingredients. Unilever is a large company - glad to see they used minimum packagaing and real ingredients . 1-800-418-2302 http://www.bertolli.com/ if you wanted more info.

But check out how it comes out of the package - all frozen and those those rectangular cubes melt into the cream sauce. It as a little too saucy but the flavour was good. Now they do try to romanticize the product a bit much ....a morning chill...Italian artisan...picks fresh mushrooms...a sign escapes his lips....into his burlap bag...what beautiful music...I'm sure I was reading a romantic novel.

And then pure water - which makes me question what is pure water?

Anyhow the product was decent, I would buy it again and this time around it was rather enjoyable not to go out to eat.

I was tired and grumpy - this was nice comfort food with good taste.

Obsessive eating

Sometimes I'm on the road. And I get food cravings. I'm not even sure if they are food carvings. All I know is that I am full.I am in a hotel room. There isn't any alcohol involved. But I'm feeling deprived. Right now I would like to have chocolate - but there isn't any to be found in my Staybridge Suites Hotel. And I'm too lazy to wander down to the lobby to check out there mini-market. So I eat what I have in the fridge in my room.

In this case it is Stella Freshly Shredded 3 Cheese Italian - parmesan, asiago and romano chesse blends.

I peel off the plastic green lid and then using my fingers which have taken on crane-like qualities I scoop out a decent amount, throw back my head and open wide.
It has a bit of a bite which satisfies me for a bit. But now I start to wonder what is in my cheese?

Not sure who www.StellaCheese.com are. Some day I might check it out.

Says on the plastic container that Stella has perfected the art of cheesemaking giving me the best in authentic flavor and freshness.
Authentic? Not quite sure what they mean by that word.
Freshness? Hmm, it has been shredded, treated I'm sure with some type of anti-clumping agent and is best by 16 May 09 - 4 months away.
So what does freshness really mean in this case?

Ingredients: parmesan cheese (pasteurized part-skim milk, cheese cultures, salt, enzymes), asiago fresh cheese (pasteurized milk, cheese cultures, salt, enzymes), romano cheese (pasteurized part-skim milk, cheese cultures, salt, enzymes), powdered cellulose to prevent caking, natamycin to protect flavour.

I do like that they give some insiders info on what is the main function of the ingredient.

So I was curious what one ingredient was -  Chemical Formula: C₃₃H₄₇NO_{13 or....}

Natamycin is a fungicide used to keep cheese from getting moldy. It works by making holes in the cell membranes of fungi, so their insides leak out. It is produced by Streptomyces natalensis bacteria. It is applied to cut slices of cheese by dipping or spraying. In grated cheese, a dry mixture is used, usually with cellulose to prevent caking.

Some manufacturers use it in the wax coating on cheese rinds, instead of putting on the cheese itself.

Now I didn't make this up - you only need to go to http://sci-toys.com/index.html

Fast Food Amsterdam Style

 

 

I don't fancy this but I do like the idea.

Lunch in the AC Lounge - Dec 28th

Lunch time! Let's see Chicken Noodle soup with a twist - pasta instead of noodles (okay fire that copywriter); some nice looking multi-grain bread, two pads of whipped butter (hopefully made with BHT free Canadian milk).

Followed by a delightful tossed salad with cherry tomatoes, celery, cukes and mesulun leaves (think just a bunch of different shapes, sizes and colours of lettuces). A sprinkle of sweetened cranberries and pumpkin seeds touched up with a drizzle of oil and balsamic vinegar.

Lovely for lounge food.

I wonder if the cookies are made using hydrogenated oils (please please please could you just get rid of those oils - save my arteries)!

Hmm, I'll risk the cookies. It is a long walk to gate 95.

New Orleans Food

 
 
 

One Mean Coffee

 

Vietnamese Delights

I could never be a restaurant critic - or I would need to take copious notes and never enjoy the meal. I enjoyed the meal, the company and the wine. All quite lovely - all well balanced.

Conversations centered on everything from Chilean politics to the foods we were indulging in.


Papaya Salad* Shredded & tossed w/ dried sesame beef & basil.

Seared Day Boat Scallops

I was treated to a lovely meal at Tamarine - I had taken the CalTrain to Redwoods and my friends drove me over to Palo Alto, CA. Walking into the restaurant was like walking into a sea of calmness.

We started with Popcorn Rock Prawns Batter fried rock prawns served w/ apple fennel slaw, Tahitian vanilla aioli & Kochuyan aioli -all presented in three small dishes. Delightful.

Others dishes included Ha Long Bay Soup Crab wontons served in a consommé infused w/ coriander & coconut milk; Cumin Spiced Duck Seared cumin crusted Sonoma duck breast w/ huckleberry gastrique & sauteed green beans; Sambal Loup De Mer Whole fish served w/ dried scallop & mango salad. Finished w/ pineapple-sambal sauce. Coconut Coconut, vanilla, roasted coconut flakes plus naked Jasmine Rice.

I must not let the hip size reduce - so I indulged in the dessert.

-13 Degrees at the Nevada Restaurtant on Queen St.E.

Nice balmy weather all last week I hear and the day I arrive a 100 car pile up on the 400, bone chilling winds and a deep desire for some good pasta. Jeannette suggests the Nevada on Queen Street and I agree - I've been there in the past and it is a warm cozy spot with a great patio.

We arrive. Are greeted and seated. The menus are given - they aren't very clean - lots of watermarks and other bits and pieces but we've been here before. Hmm, but where are all the pasta dishes and it seems a a lot of seafood (Atlantic salmon - I might as well not even ask if they have wild), and many other rather unusal dishes for an Italian eatery like spring rolls.

The waitress is lovely and we ask about ownership. She laughs and says it is owned by the Joos but we hear it is owned by the Jews. No, she says, the Joos as in Korean Joos pronounced the jews. At first we were a tad shocked however she did clarify it quickly.

The food - well I hear they are going to revamp the menu so I hesitate to comment as it will be changing. The rubbery calamari rings, which totaled 8 rings or are roughly $1.o0 a piece looked more like a garnish. I commented on and the waitress agreed. She came back with more. With a leap of optimism JR ordered the caprese salad with buffalo cheese - the over-chilled baffala was not buffalo and as for the tomatoes, "what was I thinking ordered a tomato dish in January?" I won't bore you with the remaining dishes. For $80 (including 3 glasses of wine) it was decent value due to generous portions of the mains (the pollo maximus chicken was gigantic) but wait for the revamp and try it later.

1963 Queen Street East, Toronto, ON M4L 1H9 416.691.8462
No website but if you google it you will find plenty of mentions.
One spot to check out:

Men Wait Staff Only at GrazieToronto

It is quite the success story - great location (near Yonge and Eglinton Toronto), good food, reasonable prices - all the pastas are $15 or under; great ambiance; neighbourhood local watering hole. The food isn't outstanding but for the prices it is good fun, easy on the pocket book and always busy so great for people watching.
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Publish Post
It is kinda odd that there are no women waiting, bartending or even at the door. But heck - I like the attention when I go.

Farmed Fish & Pet Food - a connection?

I really like food and it annoys me to high heavens that I just can't nosh and graze as I please. In the Vancouver Sun on Wed May 9/07 front page the headline reads "pet food scare hits fish farms as BC firm recalls feed".

It appears that the US Food and Drug Admin discovered feed had been spiked with melamine, the same toxin linked to the pet food recall (and I think melamine raises the protein content of the product that it is used in). The fish feed shipped to aquaculture farms was suppose to be wheat gluten, a protein source imported from China. Oh yes here it is - the chemical melamine was added to wheat flour which then makes it more protein rich that it is.

Now we are being advised by BC Deputy provincial health officer Dr. Eric Young that we shouldn't be concerned. Right. Except it appears that this product was also placed into the feed that is given to pigs and chickens. So at what point do we need to be concerned?

I think right now. The animals that are grown in Canada should be feed what our soils can produce - not imported feed from China, the USA, the USSR or wherever imported feed comes from. It is healthier for us, easier to trace, kinder on the environment and better for the animals.

Chemical Brownies or Not?

Ah I’m flying to Hawaii. Air Canada. Economy. Surprise, surprise they actually give you a meal. I just fluffed. I hope it stinks as I don’t care for the people in front of me who have put their chairs way back forcing me to straddle my seat so I can use my computer. Thankfully no one is sitting next to me. I'm highly anti-social today.

I have just consumed a Jazz Fine Foods Chocolate Chunk Brownie.(5065 Ontario Est, Montreal, Quebec H1V 3V2) The company is out of Montreal so it is nice that AC is supporting some Canadian suppliers.

Let’s see what did I just eat – a Brownie – which is normally made of eggs, butter, flour, sugar and chocolate. Now let’s take a peek at the ingredient list:

Sugar – got one right.
Enriched wheat flour – wow, wheat, go figure
Water
Hydrogenated palm oil – nasty, haven’t they made the connection to heart disease yet? Cheap gross ingredient. Cocoa powder – sounds okay
Corn syrup solids – what is that? More sugar. But what else?
Chocolate liquor - sounds good
Albumen power – I think that is suppose to be an egg substitute. Something dried up.
Cocoa butter
Anhydrous dextrose – what is that – sugar again I think
Salt
Modified corn starch – what does the word modified mean?
Baking powder – most likely the aluminum kind
Natural and artificial flavors – USA spelling - need the u back as in flavours
Soybean Lecithin – huh?Mono and diglycerides
Proplene glycol micro fatty acids esthers – what the heck?
Sulphites – a preservative of sorts
BHA – anything is an acronym is 98% of the time nastyBHT – see above

And the classic warning: may contain traces of peanuts or nuts and/or milk ingredients and/or sesame seeds.

So really I just consumed some sort of chemical brownie. Now the majority of people will say stop being such a fuss pot. All I ask you to think about is why, even though we are living longer, are we getting more and more cancers?

Costa Rica Food - Round one

The typical - rice, beans and eggs - and a selctions of hot sauces and vinagrettes. Lots of road sides where you get great value and good tasting morsels. Even the bed & breakfasts put out a nice feast.