Bizzy Barefoot Contessa

On Thursday I had the pleasure of celebrating a friend's birthday over a sumptuous all-you-can-eat meal at Sushi Mountain. If you have not tried this place yet, you simply must give it a shot. Located conveniently at the NW corner of Thickson and Hwy 2 in Whitby, it is a great place to take your time experimenting with the plethora of different forms and flavours of sushi. But arrive early as the place fills up fast...even during the week!

My only complaints were that the server wasn't the most attentive even though we were a group of ten, and his English wasn't strong enough to answer our questions about the menu. Otherwise the overall experience was positive. Lineups seem to start to form around 6:30pm, so it is either an extremely popular place to go, or Durhamites just love their raw fish!

Personal recommendation would be to try the white tuna sashimi paired with some hot Saki. Awesome!

I give it four feet out of five

Follow this link for other patron's reviews.

Rain Restaurant located on Mercer St. in Toronto boasts an exquisite Asian cuisine with unusual items.

Ber and I ordered the tasting selection of hashimi and squab, which was a culinary adventure of four courses. This one: a rich, chewy dumpling filled with a squab reduction and garnished with a chive-dusted pigeon claw. An eyebrow-raiser, to be sure.

Rather than doing the wine pairings (I can't handle that much alcohol, unfortunately), we shared a bottle of Grüner Veltliner, a heady Austrian grape variety that did not upstage the meal.

Before our feast, we visited Toronto's Distillery District nearby and enjoyed a mojito at the Boiler House restaurant and bar. Mint and raspberry muddled with rum and lime over ice made a refreshing drink for a hot summer evening.  Here are some mojito rules I found on Adam's blog that you need to read before ordering/making/consuming a mojito.

Enjoy!

This meatball recipe, an old family favourite for Italians and 'manga-cakes' alike, is actually NOT one of Ber's creations, and is my own contribution. On the rare occasion when I have a recipe to contribute it isn't usually something I invented. Rather I 'borrowed' it, or put my own spin on a popular recipe.

Alright...get your red-checkered tablecloths out people!

Blend together

1 lg. egg, slightly beaten
1/4 cup breadcrumbs
1/4 cup finely chopped shallots
1 1/2 tbsp. fresh oregano leaves
1 tbsp. fresh basil leaves
1 tsp. salt
1 lg. clove garlic, minced

then add

1 1/2 lb. ground beef

and mix together well with your bare hands. Shape into 1 1/2" balls and set aside.

In a medium saucepan, heat sauce over medium-low heat. While sauce simmers, add

2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

to large skillet over medium heat. Saute meatballs in pan, turning frequently to brown evenly. Cook for 10 minutes, then transfer meatballs to saucepan and simmer in the sauce for at least another 30-60 minutes.

Serve over spaghetti or spaghettini, and accompany with a nice goblet of Chianti, and some light sorbet for dessert with an espresso chaser. Buon appetito!

A typical bouillabaise like this marries well with an off-dry pinot blanc like Hugel Gentil. Sauteed fennel and onion seasoned with paprika add the generous character this dish offers.

A tuft of fennel weed is a beautiful garnish.

For the sake of ease, I recommend visiting your butcher and buying the scallops pre-wrapped.

Prepare the risotto first. Bring chicken stock and risotto with a pinch of saffron to a boil. Cook over med-low heat for about 20 mins gradually adding more stock as it boils away.

During last 5 mins of risotto cooking, heat a couple of tbsp EVOO in a pan and saute scallops over med heat. Be careful not to overcook. Steam fresh asparagus and serve atop scallops.

Suggested wine pairing: Bourgogne Chardonnay.

The Christmas meal is a time for family and friends to break bread together and enjoy the special blessings of the season. As such, the Christmas dinner table should be set to reflect this special, and often formal, gathering of those near and dear to our hearts.

I started by taking my service for twelve out of storage and washing each item by hand. This is a time-consuming endeavour, but if you do not use your china regularly, it will need cleaning prior to being able to eat off of it. If you have had it in storage wrapped in newspaper, all the more reason. The inks in newspaper can leave a toxic residue on tableware.

If you do not have charger plates, I recommend using placemats to cut down on the mess and stains to the tablecloth. Many festive table linens do not wash well, and extra care should be taken.

Set the salad bowl (if using) atop the dessert plate, which sits atop the dinner plate. Place a Christmas cracker on top of each setting, or the napkin in a ring that marries with your theme. If you do not have napkins rings (which I didn't), then fold the napkins into fans and place in each goblet.

The settings should be simple, as you will want to reserve as much space on the table as possible for platters and bowls. Leave the cups and saucers on the sideboard or kitchen counter until you are ready to serve dessert. Remove and set aside the dessert plates before beginning the meal.

For informal family dinners, I do not set placecards. If hosting a dinner party with mixed friends, I do believe in their use, as I find that people prefer to have the decision as to whom to sit next to made for them rather than awkwardly milling around the table in a musical chairs-type fashion.

Make sure there is a nice, chilled bottle of wine or two on hand.  If serving turkey, I recommend an off-dry chardonnay such as Hillebrand Trius.  For ham or pork, choose a pinot noir or merlot.  Relax and enjoy your company!

Merry Christmas, and bon appétit!

For this delightful feast, prepared for me recently by my talented guy Ber, you need to gather the following ingredients:

-Two salmon steaks
-A tub of fat free plain yogurt
-Fresh chopped parsley, w/stems
-Fresh chopped dill
-Fresh mint (whole leaf)
-A bag of lentils
-Fresh spinach
-Two large prawns or tiger shrimp
-Two lemons
-One package prosciutto

In a medium saucepan immerse approximately two cups of lentils with just enough salted water to cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer. You will cook these for about twenty minutes, or until most of the water is absorbed and the lentils are done to a soft bite.

Heat the oven to 400 degrees and place a shallow baking pan with a rack inside in the oven to warm up.

Prepare the fish by laying a shrimp on top of each steak and wrapping it all in a slice of prosciutto. Squeeze the juice of one lemon over all and set aside. Prepare sauce by combining 1/2 cup yogurt with 1/8 cup chopped dill and parsley. Thin with a little milk if too thick. Blend and set aside.

In the last ten minutes of cooking the lentils, remove the hot pan from the oven and place the salmon steaks in. Season with fresh ground pepper, if available and return to the oven.

In the last three minutes of cooking the lentils, add two handfuls of washed spinach and a small handful of mint and cook.

Remove lentils to plates with a slotted spoon. When fish is done remove from pan and place on top of lentil mixture. Garnish with yogurt sauce and a slice of lemon.

WINE PAIRINGS:
For this meal, we had Cat's Pee on a Gooseberry Bush.  A delightful sauvignon blanc, it married well with this meal of fresh seafood.